69novels Page 55
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One of them went into battle, and was the first to engage Medusa in combat. Medusa was caught off guard by the sudden appearance of these five afterimages. The strength displayed by the five afterimages of the Knights of the Round Table far exceeded that of the mortal warriors Medusa had faced before.
[This enormous goddess felt that she had been dominating the game from the start, but suddenly the situation shifted to a high-level one in the middle. Her normal attacks were ineffective against the Round-Headed Five. Although the serpentine goddess's enormous size and monstrous strength put her under great pressure in front of the afterimages of the Knights of the Round Table, she was not considered a particularly dangerous existence. Even the True Aether Magic Cannon was powerless to break through the shield formed by the Round Table.]
As the battle intensified, Medusa realized she had no choice but to use her ultimate weapon.
[You see the goddess suddenly curl up, her enormous wings beginning to envelop her body. You understand that she is about to use the true power of the Petrifying Eye, but you are not afraid. Your previous evasive actions have made Medusa consider you the least threatening person; her real target is the afterimage of Mordred.]
[And this is exactly what you wanted. You don't know how much of the original body's combat power the afterimage you summoned actually possesses, but you have complete confidence in Mordred because this offspring you value most has more than one protective treasure. Even though these treasures are currently illusions that you have materialized from your memories, they are still among the strongest defensive items in the Type-Moon world.]
[And so, Mordred stood before Medusa. At your will, she planted the Round Table Shield into the earth and held the scabbard of the Holy Sword before her. The true ether in the air began to gather towards this afterimage, making it increasingly solid. You suddenly noticed that Mordred's afterimage seemed to have changed, somewhat different from the child you remembered. Her hair had grown longer, and she had grown a head taller. But you didn't have time to look closely, because Medusa had already moved.]
A viscous, dim magic shimmered from the goddess's eyes. A gigantic serpentine monster spread its wings, its long purple hair fluttering in the wind, displaying a bizarre, serpentine form. Medusa, enraged to the extreme, finally revealed the form that terrified the Greeks in front of Quinn. Her gaze swept across the land, turning the earth into pale rocks, and along with her gaze moved dark rays solidified with magic.
Medusa looked at the figure that gave her a great sense of oppression and tried to turn it into a stone statue. However, when her eyes met the other person, a chill ran down her spine.
In a daze, the goddess saw not a phantom human figure, but a giant dragon coiled on the throne, baring its fangs and claws. Her eyes met the dragon's, and she suddenly had the illusion that the other was the real monster. Fortunately, this illusion was fleeting.
But the illusory afterimage did not disappear with her gaze. The chalk shield firmly blocked the power emanating from her demonic eye, and even reflected some of the light back.
Since Medusa's birth, she had never encountered such a situation. Someone was not afraid of her demonic eyes and could even reflect them. This sudden change stunned the goddess. Taking advantage of this opportunity, the phantom moved. The shield lifted a corner, and a sharp lance grazed the edge of the shield, piercing through the sky and penetrating the goddess's body. It was as if the force of a dragon's charge directly threw the serpentine goddess off balance. The intense pain from her abdomen made Medusa's vision go black, and she subconsciously closed her eyes.
In less than half a second, the goddess realized that her magical gaze had missed a spot, so she opened her eyes again, trying to fix her opponent firmly in place. But that half second was enough time. When Medusa opened her eyes again, the almost solidified woman had already leaped above her head, and the golden holy sword was already hanging above the goddess's head.
Death is at hand.
Medusa tried to resist, her gaze locked onto her opponent, whose body began to show signs of petrification. But Medusa's heart sank. She discovered that her enemy's resistance to magic was astonishing. When the magic eye, which could turn most creatures into stone in an instant, shone on her opponent, it could only cause him to freeze.
But the sword had already fallen, and in less than a second it would have severed the goddess's head and killed Gorgon on the spot.
However, the death Medusa foresaw did not come.
"Tsk!"
A faint but clear hum reached Medusa's ears. She watched as the sword grazed her side and fell, and was somewhat puzzled by the fading shadow in mid-air. The goddess was certain that it was the enemy's voice, and could also sense the resentment in the hum.
The woman's afterimage clearly intended to kill him, but at the last moment, she seemed to be restrained and sent away by other forces.
who is it?
Medusa finally suppressed her anger and murderous intent, looking at the scene with some confusion. She was the only thing still able to move besides herself. The afterimages that had just blocked her had all turned into true ether and dissipated into the air. Only the man who had spoken rudely from the beginning and angered the goddess was still standing in the same place.
Now, the answer has emerged.
"...What exactly do you want?" Medusa looked at Quinn, who had dismissed the magic, with confusion, finally realizing that she seemed to have misunderstood his purpose for coming here. "Why don't you just kill me? Didn't the Greek gods send you to take Gorgon's head?"
Faced with Medusa, who was finally willing to talk, Quinn took out the flower he hadn't thrown away yet, completely disregarding the fact that they had just been fighting to the death, and slowly walked to the goddess, whose abdomen had been pierced by the Holy Lance and was still bleeding, making her face somewhat pale.
"I have come here specifically to propose to you, my beautiful lady."
what?
Enduring the excruciating pain coursing through her body, Medusa's mind went completely blank. She lowered her head in bewilderment, looking down at the mortal who was less than a fifth the height of herself. She felt mocked and ridiculed. How could anyone like her ugly appearance?
This person must be mocking.
"Stop your mockery! You're after my two sisters, aren't you?! You won't succeed. I won't allow anyone to hurt them!" Medusa was furious and about to fight the man in front of her again to protect her already broken family when she saw Quinn holding up the crooked flowers.
“My beautiful goddess, I know you hate the gods and despise everything related to them. I admit that a Greek god told me of your existence, but I assure you that my pursuit of you comes from the bottom of my heart. I have come here specifically to pursue you and marry you.”
Medusa was rendered silent by these words.
She recognized the flowers, or more accurately, she knew everything about the Isle of the Unseen. She had personally tended to many of the wildflowers in her spare time. Since the Isle of the Unseen was a place of exile hated by the gods, the flowers growing there were not as beautiful as those in mainland Greece.
But this didn't stop Medusa from liking it, because for this goddess, this small island of exile was her home, one of the few things that truly belonged to her.
Finally, unable to contain her inner thoughts, she grimaced in pain and spoke.
"So, you're a man with a screw loose. When you're pursuing a woman, you not only beat her up first, but you also give her flowers that you grew yourself as a gift?"
“Yes, this is a courtship tradition I learned since I was a child!” Quinn said without changing his expression, speaking with righteous indignation.
"Where did you learn that?"
"Inside the wolf's den! I was raised by a she-wolf, and wild beasts always fight before courtship!"
Oh no, they're barbarians!
The serpent goddess's pupils trembled wildly, and her already poorly thinking brain completely shut down.
Chapter 112 Today, Rome is founded!
Medusa's gaze towards Quinn shifted from initial confusion to a mixture of fear and astonishment. Quinn's words shattered the goddess's initial skepticism.
Chapter 125
Her preconceived notions about humans lowered her expectations of the average human being even further, but in any case, she was no longer hostile.
Quinn has fully demonstrated his power and intentions, and Medusa is not insane at this time. She is still a long way from completely losing her mind and turning into a monster. Before she completely becomes a monster, she is still a member of the gods.
Therefore, the penetrating wound in her abdomen was not fatal to her. In just a few seconds, her body was completely healed again, and there was not a single scar left on her smooth and slender waist.
Once she had fully recovered, Medusa finally accepted the flowers offered by Quinn. This was the first time she had received a gift from a strange man. Even though she couldn't understand why her ugly appearance would attract a man's interest, it didn't diminish the slight joy she felt inside.
After the initial joy subsided, Medusa gazed at Quinn before her again, pondering how to respond.
She didn't quite trust this man, nor was she willing to get too close to humans. So, she spoke up, advising, "Turn back, mortal. You are very strong. In Greece, many women would be willing to marry you. We don't..."
“You seem to have misunderstood something, goddess.” Quinn interrupted Medusa before she could finish speaking. He knew very well that Medusa and Morgan were not the same thing, and the way of proposing that worked on Morgan would not work on Medusa. “According to my tradition, you are already my property. You lost the battle just now.”
Medusa was speechless. She was not good with words to begin with, and with your barbarian logic, she had no idea how to answer you. But her instincts told her that there was a flaw in your statement. However, she no longer had the chance to speak.
[Because with the end of your battle, the two remaining goddesses living on the Isle of No Return had already set their sights on this place. They overheard your conversation with Medusa and your proposal, and thus, they intervened.]
You see two petite, beautiful women emerge from the cave behind Medusa; the woman in the lead speaks first.
"Indeed, it was my poor sister who lost, and you, as the victor, have the right to take her as your wife."
"elder sister?"
The voice from behind made Medusa feel like she had been sold out. But as soon as she turned around to speak, she saw her elder sister's slightly narrowed eyes. A chill ran down her spine, and she swallowed the words she was about to say.
Quinn then looked at the eldest of the three Gorgon sisters. She had long, dark purple hair like Medusa, and her appearance was almost identical to the other two, all having a youthful version of Medusa's face. However, the three sisters had very different temperaments. The eldest had a maturity and elegance that did not belong to her appearance, the younger one was innocent and naive, and the youngest Medusa was alluring and seductive. Therefore, the three sisters were easy to distinguish.
Stheno, that was the eldest daughter's name. Quinn recalled the information about her and realized that the eldest daughter probably understood that he had no ill intentions towards them. Therefore, she had the idea of making fun of him, a mortal, and her sister Medusa.
Such behavior would be enough to ruin a sisterly relationship among humans, but for the gods, or more precisely, among the three Gorgon sisters, it was just the right joke.
“This goddess is quite savvy.” Quinn immediately seized the opportunity and began to flatter Vestheno, “You must be the eldest of the three goddesses, right? You seem to mind if I bring your sister home.”
"Of course, I saw your battle. If you hadn't spared my sister's life, she would have been beheaded. Even in Greece, as the victor, you naturally have the right to deal with the losers. Logically speaking, the three of us sisters should now belong to you. But you've only come to propose to my poor sister, and I have no reason to refuse."
Stheno's thinking was clearly much more flexible than Medusa's. Although Quinn had just beaten up his sister and had the intention of kidnapping Medusa, she did not think it was a bad thing.
The reason is simple: if the one who defeated Medusa today were not Quinn, the barbarian, but a traditional Greek hero, then Medusa's fate would be death, and her sister's head would be cut off by some mortal hero as a symbol of his heroic achievement.
Medusa is still alive, and Quinn hasn't shown any particularly Hellenistic behavior. For the three Gorgon sisters, this is already incredibly fortunate. In some ways, it might even be their chance to escape their current predicament.
Because if Quinn really married Medusa, regardless of whether he truly loved his sister, at least Medusa's safety would be guaranteed, since a husband has an obligation to protect his wife, and anyone who wanted to kill Medusa would have to get past Quinn first.
As Medusa's older sister, although she had a bad temper and liked to bully Medusa, she ultimately loved her younger sister. She hoped that Medusa's life could be guaranteed and that she wouldn't have to fight different warriors every day to protect her powerless older sister.
When Medusa was pierced through the body by the Holy Lance, her heart almost stopped. She had never seen her powerful sister suffer such harm. Now that she had witnessed it with her own eyes, she only wanted Medusa to have a protector as soon as possible, and ideally, all three sisters could have a safe living environment.
Therefore, when she said these words, she was almost using her authority as the older sister to pressure Medusa and decide Medusa's future.
"What do you mean, mortal? When do you plan to marry my poor, unloved sister? And how do you plan to prepare for the wedding? Let me make it clear beforehand that the Isle of No Return is the place of exile for us three sisters by the Olympian gods. We don't have any wealth to give you as a gift."
Quinn couldn't possibly guess Stheno's thoughts, but he didn't care. Seeing Stheno respond to him so cooperatively, he nodded with satisfaction, giving a reply that exceeded Stheno's expectations.
"Don't worry, Goddess Stheno, I don't care about any gifts. On the contrary, I have a great gift for you."
"Big gift?"
"Yes, I know your story. Therefore, I promise that as long as Medusa marries me, I will ask the gods to cease their vengeance on you and to attend our wedding. I will also ensure that my union with Medusa is blessed by the Olympian gods."
Upon hearing this, Medusa, who had been silent out of fear of her sister, could no longer contain herself. She looked up at Quinn and, even though her mind was a complete mess, couldn't help but speak.
"What gives you the right to utter such arrogant words? How could those treacherous and cunning Olympian gods possibly give up their revenge against us because of you?"
Faced with Medusa's questioning, you disdain to explain, instead mimicking the style of your former adversary, the Roman swordsman Lucius, responding with a highly heroic and romantic sentiment solely based on your own goals.
"Because the man you are about to marry will be the greatest hero, king, and human being in all of Greece, past, present, and future. I will build a great career that will be admired by the Olympian gods. I will be the sovereign of all the city-states of Greece, the only monarch in all of Greece. Therefore, you should feel honored that my wife, the empire called Rome, will become the jewel in your future crown."
Your words are arrogant, and their implications have left the three Gorgon sisters utterly astonished. Before you, no one had ever dared to utter such bold words. They think you are insane, but they cannot refute your words, because a rational person cannot converse with a madman. But the future will prove that you are not insane, but merely beyond the former.
You finally recognize your own abilities
Chapter 126
With a clear understanding, one knows how their destiny should unfold.
Yes, Quinn Europa, this name will be etched on the monuments of the entire Mediterranean world. You have taken the first step in your own heroic feat. You have conquered the Gorgon and will conquer the entire Mediterranean. The Olympian gods will fall before your great achievements, becoming mere supporting characters in your epic tale. Simply because you came, you saw, you conquered.
You are Rome.
I need to ask for leave; I'll make it up tomorrow.
It's the end of the year, and there's a lot to do. I missed some work due to illness, so I need to catch up. I'll post two updates tomorrow to make up for today's work. Things should settle down once the official holiday starts.
Chapter 113 How did you manage to fit her in, given how big she is?
Two weeks passed quickly on the Isle of No Return. Nothing major happened during this time. Although your arrogant words dispelled Medusa's suspicions, you did not directly win over this goddess who harbored suspicion and disgust towards humans. She simply lost her malice towards you and, under the persuasion of her two sisters, began to try to accept the future.
You witnessed the entire persuasion process, and to be honest, you find it hard to call it "persuasion." Medusa's two older sisters, Stheno and Euryale, were quite forceful in their treatment of their sister. They almost used a combination of threats and persuasion to convince Medusa to agree to the marriage with you. This made you feel like you were a human trafficker, but you didn't stop it. After all, the role you played was indeed a different kind of human trafficker.
Therefore, for the next two weeks, you will maintain basic social interactions with Medusa, slowly changing her perception of you by collecting bird feathers and flowers from the Isle of No Return.
[You used to disdain such simple tricks for pleasing women because they were too cheap. Even when dealing with Morgan, you used flowers, but that was based on the premise that Morgan was a magician and understood the difficulty and value of specially cultivated blue roses in winter. Even so, what ultimately won you Morgan's heart was your tireless dedication to her. This is the best weapon for a woman in a high position who is isolated and helpless.]
In contrast, Medusa's situation is quite different. For this woman who is extremely starved for love, lacks self-confidence, and has to maintain a chain of suspicion with strangers at all times, the simplest and most genuine expression of kindness is the most effective way to build rapport. However, this expression of kindness needs to be carefully timed.
Sending gold, silver, jewels, or priceless items would be too overt and make Medusa suspect you have ulterior motives. Being too subtle, on the other hand, would make it difficult for her to suspect you're trying to get closer to her. Therefore, presenting this goddess with some local specialties you've made yourself will subtly let her know you are her future husband, that you care about her feelings, and that your intention to marry her is genuine. That's enough.
As for taking things further, you plan to let time develop the relationship slowly. You are well aware that your marital relationship with Medusa will be an extremely long process, much like taming wild lions and tigers. You must first make the other party realize that you have an overwhelming advantage in strength before you can gradually achieve the goal of making the other party believe that you have no malicious intent and that it is permissible for you to have close contact with your companions or owners by controlling their daily diet.
[And in these two weeks, you barely managed to do the first thing.]
Medusa is no longer resisting returning to Greece with you, and her two sisters will also return to Greek soil as a reward for your journey. It can be said that you have gained a lot from this trip to the Island of the Unknown. However, for the captain who received the oracle from the sea god, your gains are a nightmare.
When the Atlantean captain arrived as promised, the sight of you and the three Gorgon sisters on the coastline nearly made him lose control of his bladder and bowels. He hesitated to dock for a long time, until Medusa, unable to bear it any longer, personally went into the sea and brought the entire ship back to shore. Only then did you board the ship, and the captain finally understood what great feats you had accomplished.
[This captain held you in the highest esteem. You were the only hero in all of Greece to defeat the Gorgons, and a mighty man who could make them submit. However, he couldn't understand why you hadn't killed Medusa. You made no attempt to hide this, openly admitting your intention to marry this "monster feared by the gods." Thus, the captain's admiration for you had vanished, replaced by worship.]
Amidst the awe and reverence of the people on board, who regarded you as a towering mountain, you returned to Atlantis. The news of your conquest of the Gorgon monster and the taking of the three sisters as your spoils spread throughout Atlantis immediately, and you were summoned by the sea god, who requested that you bring the three sisters with you.