blogombal Page 57
Page 57
They wanted to see this happen, hoping their sister could quickly develop a close relationship with Quinn, which would be beneficial for their future life. However, Quinn and Medusa were unaware of the two goddesses' ulterior motives.
The nominal couple left the public bathhouse together, and once no one else was watching, they immediately revealed their true identities to each other under the moonlight.
Medusa was the first to speak.
“I don’t like you, mortal.” The serpent goddess made no attempt to hide her displeasure with Quinn. “You and the other Greeks…”
Chapter 129
People are different, and you mean us no harm, I know that very well, but I still don't really like you. What you said was too unrealistic; I find it hard to believe you. It's only because my sisters think that following you will be better than our previous lives that I'm with you."
“I know,” Quinn nodded.
He was a modern man, not a true barbarian, and naturally knew that his behavior toward Medusa could not win the goddess's favor. Even though this was in Greece, where the victor had the absolute right to deal with the loser, the right to deal with someone was one thing, but getting Medusa to treat him sincerely was another.
“That priestess is right. You should marry a normal human, not a monster like me. You are very smart, smarter than any human I have ever seen. The Olympian gods like you very much. You will have a bright future, but if you get entangled with me, I will only bring you disaster.”
Medusa continued speaking, trying to persuade Quinn not to focus on her, but when she finished speaking, she realized that Quinn did not waver at all because of her words.
On the contrary, under the moonlight, Quinn showed an extremely indifferent expression, as if he didn't care whether Medusa liked him or what disasters he would face in the future. All Medusa could see on Quinn's face was a firm determination.
“It’s alright. You don’t need to really see me as your husband or lover. I don’t expect to win your heart just by beating you up.”
"...Then what exactly do you want from me?" Medusa was confused. Her understanding of human thought was already limited, let alone her ability to decipher Quinn's mind. "What benefits can I offer you?"
Quinn shook his head. "You can't do me any good."
This answer was exactly what Medusa expected, and even very much in line with her expectations. She knew that normal people wouldn't think that a monster like her could have any value. But she was even more puzzled by Quinn's purpose. When she started to think about what Quinn hoped to get from her, Quinn spoke up again.
"But you are of paramount value to me."
Bathed in the bright moonlight, Quinn laughed. In an instant, Medusa's heart skipped a beat. Even though she knew very little about humans, she could tell that Quinn's smile was genuine.
The man in front of her truly believed that this monster was someone worth sacrificing for.
At this moment, Medusa finally understands you. She clearly understands that you have no love for her whatsoever, and that your proposal to her had your own motives, even if she is completely unaware of them. But she understands that at least she no longer needs to be so wary of you, even if you seem like a heartless boss.
Medusa felt a sense of peace she had never known before.
Chapter 116 Making the Confident Goddess Bow Her Head
Along with the construction of the Roman Baths, numerous buildings, including the Forum, the Colosseum, the Theater, the Consulate, temples, and the Imperial Palace, rose from the ground under Medusa's hands. The construction of the entire city of Rome took as long as three years. The magnificent and thick city walls began at Mount Aventinus and encompassed the Palatine, Capitoline, and Vimina Mountains, forming an impregnable barrier.
During this time, Stheno and Euryale repeatedly tried to recreate the events at the Great Bath to urge Medusa to establish a closer relationship with you. However, since the conversation at the Great Bath, Medusa has had some thoughts on how to handle her relationship with you. Although she is still afraid of her sister, she no longer gets close to you for that reason.
You are completely unconcerned about this, because you've noticed that Medusa's work speed has increased day by day since your conversation, and at the same time, this goddess, who was previously somewhat irritable, has improved her temper considerably, no longer casting suspicious or complaining glances at you from time to time.
During the three years of city building, your relationship with Medusa has gradually improved. She listens to you and follows your instructions when it comes to building renovations. However, after nightfall, she will occasionally express her dissatisfaction with your unscrupulous exploitation of the goddess. You are quite satisfied with this because Medusa is beginning to become more like a normal woman, and your relationship can be described as one of friendship.
The city of Rome, which Medusa personally built for you, naturally became a symbol of your close relationship with this goddess.
[The resolution "Building Rome" is complete. You have gained the trait "City Builder". Because you built the oldest and greatest city on seven hills in the Mediterranean, you have become quite skilled in city building. You can easily see the weaknesses of a city or fortress and understand how to use the terrain to build strong fortifications. When you are the commander of an army, the siege efficiency of your troops is increased by 10%, and the enemy's siege efficiency is reduced by 20%.]
You have gained 1 point of Clan Trait. You now have 2 Clan Traits available.
I finally saved it up!
Walking through the empty streets of Rome, Quinn admired his own city while looking at the clan inheritance option that had finally lit up on the simulator pop-up.
Just like in CK3, where players need to spend more reputation to unlock new clan legacies, the clan legacies in the simulator have a similar mechanism. The first clan legacies only require 1 point, the second requires 2 points, the third requires 3 points, and so on, gradually increasing.
The clan legacy he chose earlier, [Ancient Heroes], brought out a series of events related to the Knights of the Round Table and allowed him to summon the afterimages of his offspring through magic. However, if he wanted to make a name for himself in Greece, relying solely on [Ancient Heroes] was still somewhat insufficient, because this clan legacy is a late-game ability with growth potential, and it is difficult for Quinn to directly help him quickly improve his strength.
As for which lineage would be more effective in helping him, Quinn already had a decision in his mind.
[You chose the 'heroic bloodline' of your clan—mythical ancestors. As your clan grows strong like branches in midsummer, the world begins to wonder about your clan's origins. You start tracing your roots and discover that your ancestor was a famous figure from ancient mythology. Your clan is destined for greatness.]
[You have unlocked a special resolution—Compiling an Epic. When you activate this resolution, you can compile a history for your clan. When the world recognizes this history, you will gain an ancestor whose lineage traces back to mythological epics, and you will be able to declare war on the grounds of "ancestral claims."]
[You have initiated the resolution, selected "Quinn Europa" as your clan ancestor, and begun creating an ancestral epic to contribute to your clan's glory.]
Now that Rome is complete, you're starting to think about how to attract people to your city. Although your name has spread throughout Greece, those rumors aren't enough to draw people to your city. In modern Greece, the best way to make a city prosper quickly is to find a guardian deity for it.
So you went to Dione.
You confide your thoughts to your fellow traveler, hoping that Zeus, the king of the gods, will become the patron god of Rome.
[Upon your request, Dione smiled and readily agreed, as if she had been waiting for this moment. She told you that the King of Gods had been watching your every move and was already willing to protect your city of Rome. However, this protection was not unconditional. The King of Gods wanted you to find a man named Perseus and guide him onto the same heroic path as you, helping him become a city-state king like you, because Perseus's descendants would bring many heroes to later Greece.]
And you will gain unprecedented honor as a result; all Greeks will come to Rome in admiration of your fame.
This is a perfectly transparent transaction, and you've agreed to it.
Seeing that you agreed, Dione's smile widened, and she told you that this adventure, besides helping...
Chapter 130
This is a golden opportunity for you to earn honor and receive the blessing of the goddess of wisdom. Athena highly values Perseus, believing he has the potential to become a rare hero. However, the king of the gods thinks you are superior. If you can prove that the goddess of wisdom is wrong, you can also make that confident goddess bow her head. And Dione will lead you to Perseus.
You smiled but didn't say much. You simply left the temple and began preparing your travel plans to leave Rome.
"You're leaving? All by yourself?" When Quinn approached Medusa and explained his plans, Medusa's face showed a rare look of confusion. "Aren't you planning to become king? What king would abandon his city and go on an adventure alone?"
The bewildered goddess spoke with a hint of reluctance that even she herself didn't realize. Three years of being together had made Medusa used to having someone tell her what to do every day. Now that the man who had been controlling her was leaving, she found it hard to say whether she should be happy or not.
But Quinn had already caught this feeling and couldn't help but laugh. "It's not really an adventure. It's just going back to my hometown to see my godmother whom I haven't seen in a long time, and bringing a student back with me. It won't take long."
Hearing that Quinn wouldn't be gone for long, Medusa felt slightly relieved, then noticed another phrase in his words, "Taking students?"
“Yes, Zeus, the king of the gods, asked me to help cultivate a hero. He said he wanted the child to become a city-state king like me. But I think he probably can’t learn the methods I used to create Rome. After all, not everyone is as lucky as me to have you by my side.”
Quinn's words made Medusa blush slightly, but Medusa was already used to Quinn, so she immediately changed the subject to avoid him saying anything strange that would make her heart race.
"So how do you plan to mentor your students?"
"Simple, if we can't build a city, we'll just seize one. Who says a king has to find a place to build his own city?"
Chapter 117 Don't run away, charge towards the carriage!
You and Dione left Rome and returned to Cyprus, an island you had visited before, setting foot on this long-lost island, the birthplace of the goddess of love.
Three years later, Cyprus remains largely unchanged. The islanders are still as warm, hospitable, and romantic as ever. However, the King of Cyprus who once hosted you has passed away, and his son has taken his place.
[When you sought the blessing of Cupid for your doll, you met this new king once and naturally knew his name, Polidectes.]
Polydectes was taken aback by your arrival, for you are one of the few men in Greece who have received divine favor and had direct conversations with the gods on several occasions. His father held you in high esteem, and naturally, he dared not underestimate you. Therefore, he followed his father's example and personally hosted a banquet to welcome you.
Thanks to the new king's actions, you effortlessly achieved your goal, and couldn't help but marvel at it.
This little guy really does look like someone I know from the past...
Quinn, who had just returned to the palace on the island of Cyprus and was enjoying a banquet hosted by the new king, immediately spotted the most eye-catching person in the palace. That familiar seaweed-like hairstyle almost made this time traveler hallucinate, making him mistakenly believe that he was not in Greece, but in Fuyuki, Japan.
But if Quinn focused a little more, he could see many differences between this bright child and his old friend. Quinn remembered his old friend as arrogant and domineering, but this child was different.
He sat quietly beside Dicttis, the brother of King Polydectes of Cyprus, with his head bowed, avoiding conversation and eye contact with the others at the banquet. However, when a waiter served him food and drinks, he would raise his head and show a kind smile, as if the entire court banquet had nothing to do with him. He looked like a shy but friendly boy.
In contrast, a certain old acquaintance in Quinn's memory... well, let's not mention him.
Quinn's gaze also caught the attention of Polidectes, who was always watching Quinn. The new king looked at Perseus, who was sitting next to his brother, and then at Quinn, and couldn't help but ask, "Do you know my brother's adopted son?"
"Yes, I know him, and I came here for him."
[You readily admitted that you came to Cyprus as a human trafficker, and your words naturally caused quite a stir. Immediately, many people in the Cypriot court turned pale, because Perseus was the adopted son of the king's brother, and by a reckoning, he was a member of the royal family. For you, as a guest, to say such things was somewhat humiliating to the Cypriot royal family.]
In this era, people's ideas were still very simple: humiliating the king was equivalent to humiliating the people, and naturally, it wouldn't earn them any favors. However, this certainly didn't include Polydectes himself, because he was eager for Perseus to be taken away as soon as possible.
Yes, the new King Polydectes did not like Perseus very much, even though he was his brother's adopted son, because he was infatuated with a woman—Danaë, Perseus's biological mother.
Because of Perseus's existence, Danaë refused to marry Polydectes, and consequently, Perseus was also disliked by Polydectes. In the original myth, Perseus was sent by Polydectes to fight Medusa after he came of age, hoping that he would die at the hands of the monster so that he could marry her mother. The result was self-evident.
But now, Polidectes has another option.
The new king is eager for you to take Perseus away. He doesn't care about your purpose, but out of respect for the king, he still seriously inquires about it. You simply tell him that you came because the King of Gods wanted you to. Perseus will return to your city of Rome with you, where you will teach him how to become a great hero.
Upon hearing this, those who had previously been somewhat hostile towards you were all at a loss. No one doubted your words, because you were the person in all of Greece who had the deepest contact with the gods. But none of them expected that you would actually establish a city and become a king.
[Polidectes immediately agreed to your request, and even before his brother and Perseus himself had given their consent, he assured you that Perseus would leave with you.]
[The king has spoken, and no one else can voice their dissatisfaction. The banquet soon came to an end, and Polidec forced his younger brother to leave with satisfaction, leaving only you and Perseus. This future great hero is still a minor, and in the face of someone as renowned as you, he doesn't even dare to look you in the eye. Yet, even so, he bravely expressed his thoughts.]
"I don't want to leave. If I leave, my mother will be possessed by Polydectes," Perseus bluntly refused, explaining his reasons.
[You have a higher opinion of this child who resembles an old friend. Although he is still young, he has courage far beyond that of ordinary people. Not everyone dares to refuse you directly. So you promise him that you will protect his mother and prevent Polidectes from acting recklessly until he grows up and becomes a hero, at which point he can return to Cyprus and openly bring his mother back.]
Your promise made Perseus waver, and he decided to go home and ask his mother's opinion first.
Aren't you worried that Perseus will refuse you? In Greece, it's almost impossible for mortals to refuse what the gods decree. In fact, just as you thought, the next morning, Perseus excitedly approached you, expressing his willingness to return to Rome with you to learn how to become a hero.
The news that Perseus was willing to leave, along with the news that you had already established a city, spread throughout Cyprus. When you decided to return, Polydectes secretly approached you and gave you a large sum of money.
Chapter 131
He hopes you will train Perseus with the strictest requirements, but beneath these righteous words, he implies that he does not want to see Perseus return alive to Cyprus.
You understood the other party's implication, nodded, and accepted the money in front of Dione. At the same time, you solemnly declared that you would hold Perseus to the highest standards. Polydectes was very satisfied, believing that you had agreed to his request. He then turned and left, leaving you with a playful expression and Dione with a sour face.
Why did you take that guy's money?
Once the new king had completely left, Dione couldn't help but speak.
“His demands are normal; wanting your son to succeed is a good thing.” Quinn said without any qualms. “Anyway, I’m going to be strict with Perseus, and besides, I’m really short of money right now.”
You stated that without money, there would be no army, and without an army, how could Perseus protect his mother? Dione remained silent and skeptical of your answer. She intended to see what you were really up to, and then... she understood.
After you brought Perseus back to Rome, you immediately began the first step of your hero-training plan. You prepared a carriage on the vast plain outside Rome, brought Perseus to the carriage, and then you drove the carriage and began your special training of this hero.
"Perseus! Don't run! Don't flee, charge towards the carriage!"
"How is this possible?!" Perseus exclaimed in terror as he fled.
"Don't be afraid, you won't die from being hit by the carriage! Muster your courage and charge towards the carriage! If you don't even dare to charge at a carriage, what kind of hero do you want to be!"
Yes, you believe the best way to train a great Greek hero is through the Ottoman training method, which is the most suitable way for the Greeks to cultivate heroes.
Your training methods have been approved by the God King and the God of War. The Goddess of Wisdom has expressed doubts about your training methods, but she has not interfered.
Because you activated the resolution "Compile an Epic," and you came into contact with the Greek legend "Perseus," an epic about your ancestor has begun to be compiled. The story of "Perseus" is being incorporated into your ancestral epic. Once the adventures of this legendary character are fully incorporated into your ancestral epic, you will gain 1 trait point.
Chapter 118 Perseus: I don't even know how I survived to adulthood.
Stopping a horse-drawn carriage with a human body, freefalling for a kilometer without an umbrella, diving naked and fighting whales...