69novels Page 66
Page 66
Titans...
Quinn did not respond to Dione immediately because she was talking about some things Quinn was about to forget. According to the Type-Moon setting, the Greek gods of the Age of Gods did indeed face the threat of the Titans. In normal human history, the Machine Gods who lost their machines could not resist the Titans' attacks and relied entirely on mortal heroes to defeat the Titans.
But now, the Greek Mechs have recovered much of their power, and their bodies are being regenerated. Logically speaking, they shouldn't need to worry about the Titans at all.
You sensed something amiss in the God-King's request, but in your mind, the Greek history of the Type-Moon world was exceptionally complicated, and even you found it difficult to unravel the details. You had no choice but to agree to the condition.
After Dione left, you immediately approached Medusa and asked her about the Titans. However, to your surprise, even Medusa, as a local deity, had difficulty explaining the Titans. She only knew that the Titans, sealed deep in the underworld, were once the great enemies of the Greek Mechs and the most likely threat to destroy the Greek Mechs and the entire Greek world.
Fortunately, Medusa told you about someone who might know this: Chiron, the centaur sage, the one who was supposed to be a mentor to heroes.
[You have a new goal. As a giant in action, you immediately set off with Hercules to the homeland of the centaurs.]
When you arrive in the homeland of the centaurs, the centaur sage Chiron will personally greet you. Because of you, he has not yet been given the title of hero's mentor. The number of mortal heroes he has taught is very small, while you are already famous throughout the world. Therefore, he has great respect for you. However, when you explain that you have come to ask him a few questions, Chiron immediately says that he will answer them to the best of his knowledge.
"What exactly are the Titans sealed in hell?"
Quinn got straight to the point, but when he uttered the question, the seemingly refined centaur's enthusiasm vanished instantly, and a clear look of embarrassment appeared on his face. It was obvious that he did know what the Titans were, but he was unwilling to answer.
"I'm sorry, King of Rome, I cannot answer your question. This is a secret among the gods. The King of Gods forbids anyone from telling you the truth about the Titans. With your wisdom, you should be able to understand what I mean, right?"
Chiron remained silent for a long time, and finally, with a flicker in his eyes, gave an answer that was not really an answer.
Actually, I don't understand.
Quinn took a deep breath, wanting to say it, but he did understand what Chiron meant.
"So, I've been disqualified from attending the party?"
“…Almost.” Although he didn’t understand what a party was, Chiron understood what Quinn meant.
Chapter 152
He then nodded. "Yes, the King of Gods only allowed Hercules to fight the Titans, and you are absolutely not allowed to participate. Although I don't understand the reason, I suppose it is for your own good."
[You know you can't get the answers from Chiron, but you do know one thing: the gods seem to intend to restore the original myth, having Heracles die after completing the Twelve Trials, then ascend to godhood and go to Mount Olympus to fight the Titans. Perhaps... in a sense, this is a good thing, but you can't accept it.]
Hercules was entrusted to you by your first student, and you promised Perseus that you would take good care of his descendants, and you will never break your promise.
Chapter 143 Hercules' Year Begins
[You have temporarily settled in the centaur homeland, intending to involve Chiron in the teaching of Heracles. After all, you can arrange trials for Heracles, but in terms of actual ability to convert a disciple, Chiron is clearly superior. Your decision makes Chiron feel uneasy and ashamed.]
Because of your great reputation, Chiron believes you know better than him how to educate students. He thinks you asked him to mentor Heracles to repay his kindness in giving you hints and to bolster his resume. After all, Heracles' potential is obvious, and anyone with even a little knowledge of people can see that Heracles will definitely be extraordinary in the future.
To become Hercules' teacher would be an extremely fortunate thing for anyone, and even Chiron would find it hard to resist such an allure.
Therefore, Chiron accepted your suggestion and vowed to dedicate himself to teaching him. As for Hercules, although he couldn't understand why you weren't his teacher, he accepted your arrangement and trusted that you would provide him with the best training.
Indeed, this is true. Chiron's education of Heracles was clearly different from the original myth. Perhaps influenced by you, the centaur sage's teaching methods also bore the shadow of the Arcane training method, emphasizing both physical skill and mental cultivation. On this basis, he also incorporated many classical educational processes, teaching almost everything from astronomy and geography to medicine.
[You watched as Heracles grew rapidly under Chiron's tutelage. In just half a year, Heracles had become a well-rounded warrior, already showing the flair that Perseus had displayed when he first graduated from your tutelage. And you, in these six months of observation, also benefited greatly. You audited all of Chiron's classes, gaining a deeper understanding of the Greek landscape.]
Because of your "Acumen" trait, you gain the legendary tale "Artisan of the Ages" and are transformed into "Sage." When you use the "Treasure Crafting" decision, the quality of the treasures produced will be greatly enhanced. When you craft treasures related to Greece, you can choose a Greek deity to imbue the treasure with their power.
Because of your good relationship with Chiron, and Chiron's favorability towards you is +100, you can recruit Chiron to your court.
We have to recruit them, we definitely have to.
Since he had already decided to defy the Greek gods' arrangements to save Heracles, then becoming an enemy of Zeus was a foreseeable future. Before that, Quinn would not let go of any opportunity to strengthen his power, and he had to bring abilities like Chiron into his possession.
Chiron was flattered by your recruitment and agreed to go to Rome to join your court, but hoped you could give him more time, as he still had a disciple to teach. You were initially interested in the disciple he mentioned, but then you lost interest, because the disciple he described was a rather frivolous-looking blond-haired man.
You recognize this blond guy? That's Jason, the captain of the Argor.
[You agreed to Chiron's request. After all, Jason is an indispensable member of the Greek heroes, and you believe that Atalanta will also join the Aegir in the future. So, following Jason will most likely lead you to your second apprentice, who is currently undergoing training. In any case, Jason seems to be about to graduate.]
So you decide to assign tasks to Hercules while waiting for Chiron to complete his final instruction.
[The twelve trials that belonged to Hercules did not become less difficult with your intervention; on the contrary, they became even more challenging. This is because all kinds of monsters have emerged in Greece, and many of them are very powerful. You chose such a difficult opponent. If other heroes were to undergo the trials you arranged, they would inevitably become monster hunters. But Hercules is different; he is playing the role of a monster hunter.]
[The Nemean Lion, the Hydra, the doe of Mount Cerynea, and the Erymanthos boar are no longer enough for the all-around warrior Heracles. The training you've arranged for him has taken him to almost every corner of Greece, and all the offspring of Echidna, the mother of monsters, who are ravaging the Greek lands, have been added to the hunting list.]
When you handed this hunting list to Hercules, even he was stunned for a long time, feeling the same confusion that Perseus had felt before him.
"You don't intend to kill me, do you?" Looking at the hunting list that was almost a meter long, Hercules was sweating a little. "Half of the monsters on this list are related to the gods. Am I supposed to go and hunt these things?"
"I believe you."
Without any psychological burden, Quinn said with a smile that made Hercules's scalp tingle. Jason, who had already built a good relationship with Hercules in just a short time, glanced at him furtively and felt a wave of dizziness wash over him.
As for Chiron, looking at the list, he couldn't help but sigh that when it came to putting pressure on students, Quinn was still the better one.
Hercules believes you won't harm him and intends to follow your plan. You, in turn, invite Chiron and Jason to accompany you. You are quite dissatisfied with Jason's original character and intend to show him what true heroism looks like. Chiron readily agrees to your invitation because he is aware of Jason's character flaws, but he has no way to correct them.
And you, my dear player, because you never treat people as human beings, you are the perfect person to correct Jason's easily arrogant and cynical personality.
As for how you plan to correct him, your idea is quite simple: before Hercules goes hunting, let Jason take on the challenge first. As the saying goes, either you break through in a desperate situation or you die in one. If Jason can't change his twisted personality, then let him die on his path to becoming a hero.
Chiron has reservations about your plan, but considering your achievements, he thinks it's worth a try, as long as Jason doesn't actually die suddenly.
[As it turns out, your plan was indeed effective. Perhaps this arcane training method wasn't very effective for Hercules, but for a true mortal hero like Jason, the effect was beyond good. However, after hunting seven monsters in succession, Jason no longer dared to be so carefree.]
[However, what you originally wanted was for him to be a hero who could achieve independence and complete the trials without resorting to scheming. But in reality, Jason became an even more fanatical Hercules fanatic. After witnessing firsthand how Hercules defeated enemies that Jason couldn't defeat even with all his might, Jason was completely captivated. But at least there's one good thing.]
After a year, Hercules completed his twelve trials.
Chapter 144 You mean... just chop him up?
"The Nemean Lion, impervious to swords and spears, who could choke naked with his bare hands; who could unleash nine flaming arrows in an instant with a drawn bow; who could instantly kill the Hydra, the nine-headed serpent that could regenerate its head; who could crush Erymantus's giant boar with a single swing of his club… These are the glorious deeds of Heracles, my brother! Tell me, what other hero in this world could be so powerful? My good brother is the greatest hero in all of Greece!"
Chapter 153
! ”
Jason's boasting echoed through the court banquet of the Kingdom of Iorcas. His words were full of excitement and pride, as if Hercules's achievements were as great as his own. Beside him, Hercules, who had just completed the trials given to him by Quinn, drank his wine shyly, avoiding the admiring gazes of the surrounding guests.
Jason's boasting was a bit too much for Hercules, almost making him a living god who could kill monsters as easily as clearing weeds. But in reality, Hercules faced life-or-death crises several times in order to deal with these monsters.
The skin of the Nemea lion is not only impervious to blades and spears, but also virtually invulnerable to all human weapons. Punches and kicks cannot harm it in the slightest; the only way to kill it is by choking it naked.
The Hydra is of paramount importance; its fangs are so venomous they can kill even gods, and its severed heads can regenerate instantly. Only by shooting all of its heads off with rockets at the same time can it be killed, making it a truly disgusting monster with a mechanic that is incredibly annoying.
The other monsters were no ordinary beings either. If Hercules hadn't diligently followed the list given by Quinn, visiting each monster one by one and taking the most valuable part of each one after killing it, entrusting Quinn to help craft it into an item, he would never have been able to complete the twelve trials given by Quinn.
Jason's boasting attributed all the credit to himself, without mentioning Quinn, who had been his greatest help, was the source of Hercules's shame.
In fact, Hercules had wanted to stop Jason, who was his classmate and friend with whom he had a good relationship, from the moment Jason started boasting. However, before he could speak, Quinn stopped him with a look. Therefore, Hercules had no choice but to accept the admiration from the crowd and occasionally glance in a certain direction of the feast.
His teachers, Quinn and Chiron, were sitting there chatting happily with King Iorcas. Only when his gaze moved over would Quinn turn to look at Heracles and give him a gentle smile, as if encouraging him to get used to being surrounded by people as soon as possible.
Hercules is already famous in Greece. The trials you arranged for him have made him grow rapidly like a whirlwind. Every monster that Hercules kills becomes part of his power. He has almost collected all the items that were originally in the myth. At this moment, you have gained a student who stands at the pinnacle of mortal heroes.
You feel proud of your students' achievements, but you're not in a good mood.
Even though Heracles' trials had shed his former bad reputation in the eyes of the Greeks, much like Zhou Chu who eliminated the three scourges, news from Rome informed you that divine punishment still existed in Mycenae, and Zeus, the king of the gods, clearly did not intend to let Heracles off so easily.
Although Hercules has grown into the great hero you envisioned under your care, you still don't trust him. You wonder when the gods might turn against him. So, you have a new idea: to help Hercules defeat the Titans while he's still alive. After all, in the Type-Moon universe, the Greek Mecha Gods defeated the Titans with the help of mortal heroes, which means the Titans weren't an insurmountable threat.
[As long as you prepare a powerful enough team of heroes, you can resolve the crisis of the Titans. Therefore, you have come to the Kingdom of Aolkas, the starting point of the story of the heroes of Agor.]
Yes, when it comes to the largest group of Greek heroes, it has to be the Argo. Led by Jason, the Argo included the footprints of all the famous heroes of the Heracles era. The expedition of fifty heroes laid the foundation for Jason's heroic biography. This is why you allowed Jason to boast about Heracles at the party but didn't mention you at all.
[Because at this very moment, the King of Iolcas, with whom you are having such a pleasant conversation, is Jason's uncle. When Jason was raised by Chiron, he usurped the throne that should have belonged to Jason. Jason's behavior of boasting about Heracles at the banquet is to put pressure on his uncle, hoping that his uncle will recognize reality and voluntarily relinquish the throne to avoid a power struggle.]
[You know very well that Jason's idea is meaningless. The longer a person holds power, the less willing they are to relinquish it. Jason's boasting and pressure will inevitably exacerbate the conflict between the uncle and nephew, and this conflict is the origin of the story of the Argonauts. You need the relationship between the uncle and nephew to deteriorate further so that the Argonauts can gather more quickly.]
[So, you speak to King Iorcas about Jason, discussing the transformation of this still-immature hero during his adventures with Heracles. Your story greatly agitates King Iorcas; you can sense that this king, whose face is constantly smiling as if welcoming his nephew back to the kingdom, already harbors the idea of eliminating Jason.]
Everything unfolded as you wished. The day after the party, King Iorcas summoned Jason for a private meeting. When he returned to your side, you heard the news you longed to hear.
"My uncle is absolutely insane! He actually wants me to retrieve the Golden Fleece from Colchis before he'll return the throne to me!"
Jason returned in a frantic tone. The turn of events had not gone as he had hoped, making this still immature hero extremely anxious. If he hadn't changed a lot during his training with Hercules, he would probably have made a complete fool of himself. Fortunately, he held back. After a brief outburst, he looked at Quinn and Chiron.
"Professor Quinn, Professor Chiron, you two must have some ideas to help me, right?"
Quinn nodded in agreement. "There is indeed a way. Aren't you best at hiding behind Hercules? Just do it the same way this time."
"Huh?" Hercules, who had been watching the drama unfold, was inexplicably called upon and couldn't help but look innocent. "Isn't it inappropriate for me to get involved in Jason's family affairs?"
“I didn’t say you should kill his whole family. I meant let Jason use his strengths.” Quinn rolled his eyes. “Isn’t Jason good at building relationships with strangers? If one person can’t solve a problem, let a group of people solve it.”
Upon hearing this, Jason suddenly realized, "You mean... I should directly contact those in the country who are dissatisfied with my uncle, and then, with Hercules as the leader, storm into the palace and kill that usurper?"
Quinn: ?
No, when did I say that?
Chapter 145 Is there something wrong with the relationship between the eldest sister and the teacher?
[Under your and Heracles's guidance, Jason, who had gradually been influenced by his surroundings and become an efficiency-first thinker, was ultimately rejected by you. This was because purging the court of corrupt officials was not as simple as Jason made it out to be, and besides, you did not intend for him to handle the problem in this way.]
If Jason regained the throne so easily, where would you find the Argive heroes you lack?
[After your warning, Jason's mind returned to normal, and he understood your intentions. He prepared to recruit skilled men to accompany him on his journey to retrieve the Golden Fleece. To ensure the success of his mission, he went to the temple to seek divine guidance for his journey.]
Jason's prayers were answered as expected. The great ship you built, the Agor, appeared out of nowhere in the port of Iolcas, to serve as Jason's vehicle on his journey to retrieve the Golden Fleece. And Jason, just as you wished, began to publicize his upcoming adventure, inviting heroes from all of Greece to join him.
His publicity campaign was extensive; based on the name of Hercules, the news spread widely throughout Greece in less than two months.
Chapter 154
Warriors eager for glory and established heroes alike flocked to the scene, all longing to see Hercules, the warrior hailed as a great hero, and to see where they themselves fell short.
You watch the heroes arriving in Aolkas, waiting for a familiar face. You haven't seen her for a long time, and you don't know how much she has grown while wandering this land alone. You eagerly anticipate the upcoming reunion.
Soon, the figure you've been longing for appeared at the port of Aeolus. Atalanta was still as youthful and beautiful as you remembered. Her jade hunting attire perfectly accentuated her exquisite figure, but unlike the naivety she displayed when she first left Rome, she now exuded a strong wildness. Her gaze was as sharp as a hawk's, and she wore a cloak made of dark boar hide. Clearly, she had matured considerably.
However mature Atalanta was, her arrival on the Aegir immediately caused considerable trouble. Many heroes questioned her strength, especially Jason. It wasn't until Atalanta's arrow grazed Jason's groin, nearly severing his right to the throne of Iolcas, that Jason became more docile. However, this act of threatening his lord to demonstrate his power still drew the ire of many heroes. Under normal circumstances, Hercules, as Jason's friend, would have immediately stood up for him, but this time was different.
Hercules noticed a familiar quality in Atalanta's archery skills, a familiarity that made him hesitant to act rashly. Hercules' silence also alerted Jason, who cautiously inquired about Atalanta's origins, only to receive an answer that left him speechless.
"I am the second disciple of King Quine Europa of Rome. I learned my archery and martial arts from him. May I ask if I am qualified to board the ship?"
"Oh dear, what a coincidence! You should have said so earlier, we're kindred spirits."
Upon hearing this, Jason's expression changed drastically, instantly becoming obsequious. The speed of his change caught everyone present off guard. Only Hercules looked at Jason helplessly; he was already used to Jason's opportunistic nature. Atalanta, watching Jason's sudden shift from arrogance to obsequiousness, couldn't help but twitch at the corner of her mouth.
Characters like Jason are still quite rare in Greece.
"Who's your older sister?"