Grasping the Situation is Key in Worldly Affairs
In worldly affairs, grasping the situation is crucial. That way, no one loses face, and nobody gets exhausted.
"I admire courage that's true to one's duty, but you have to pick fights with opponents worth tangling with."
Stepping over the fallen Amazons, he entered Naxos Village proper. Their comrades would surely come swarming out after hearing the explosion.
"Hm? No people in sight."
The villagers weren't visible at first glance, but upon closer inspection, they were all peeking out from inside their homes. The Amazons must have kept them under strict control in various ways.
"Who are they?"
"Are they going to fight the Amazons?"
Their voices were soft, but he could hear the villagers' words crystal clear. Absorbing divinity had changed many things, but he hadn't expected his hearing to sharpen this much. He could even pick up whispers from far away, where people were gossiping in hiding.
Hearing their reactions made him realize he needed to appeal to their heroic side.
"People of Naxos!"
His voice boomed across the area. Only some would hear it directly, but rumors had a way of spreading. Tales of how he'd crushed the Amazons and marched in would make for great stories later.
"I, Peleus, Basileus of Sparta and faithful servant of Queen Helen, have come here to liberate you all from your suffering!"
He could feel the crowd murmuring in response.
"People of the island! I have already arrived here after smashing the Amazons' triremes on the coast and sinking them! And I bring grave news: Hippolyte, sister of the Amazon Queen, is my prisoner. Behold! Hippolyte's girdle! If you've heard the rumors, you know the Amazons never give up their girdles lightly!"
He paraded through the village streets, holding Hippolyte's golden girdle high. People flung open their wooden shutters in excitement, peering out.
"Heavens, that looks like a royal golden girdle!"
"Is that man really Sparta's Basileus?!"
The village, crushed under a heavy atmosphere, began to stir with life again. It felt like a muted scene gradually turning up the volume.
But the interruption came swiftly.
"There!"
"Intruders!"
The Amazons stationed in Naxos Village for defense mobilized. Perhaps alerted by the earlier blast, a dozen fully armed female warriors charged out. More would come soon, given their numbers.
"It's them! They really have the girdle!"
"Attack!"
With the situation like this, the Amazons attacked immediately. Each hurled several javelins his way.
Whoosh! Thwip!
Who knew javelins could be this powerful and terrifying? They sliced through the air at tremendous speed. It was peak javelin mastery.
But he didn't even blink.
"Annoying."
The javelins striking his body bounced off without piercing. His flesh could withstand Artemis's arrows; no amount of force from those would work.
"Atalante."
"Yeah?"
Atalante had ducked behind him the moment the javelins flew.
"Should I try making a barrier next time?"
"Why?"
"It doesn't look cool like this. Even if there's no damage, I still got hit."
The watching villagers had screamed. But now they screamed for a different reason—seeing a man take repeated javelin hits unscathed was shocking.
"Cool?"
"Yeah. Style matters. Imagine raising my hand like this and blocking all the javelins in midair."
As the Amazons roared and hurled more javelins, he thrust his hand forward. Channeling divinity, he envisioned an invisible rectangular shield in the air. A hemisphere enclosing him and Atalante would be ideal, but that was tricky on the fly. A rectangle would suffice.
Shwoosh! Thwip!
Another dozen javelins whistled through the air. Powerful enough to skewer a massive boar, but they pathetically ricocheted off nothing. Some snapped in half mid-flight, unable to overcome the force.
His impromptu rectangular barrier. Performance satisfactory.
He smirked a bit smugly.
"See? That was cooler, right?"
Neutralizing a barrage with one hand extended. From the side, it looked like the power of some profound force...
"Atalante?"
No answer. Turning, he saw her staring slack-jawed, half-dazed.
"What's up?"
He waved a hand in front of her face. She muttered in disbelief.
"...Are you really some kind of god?"
"What?"
"What human blocks incoming javelins out of thin air just to 'see'?"
Hm. Manipulating divinity wasn't hard, but it seemed shocking. Even the attacking Amazons faltered in surprise.
The Secret Book vented its rage.
Hey, it just worked. What can he do?
"Atalante, I need to talk to the villagers. Can you hold them off?"
Pointing at the Amazons, she leaped forward. The enemies were growing in number, but she'd manage. Even without Artemis's favor, she was a top human genius warrior.
"People!"
He bellowed again, his voice amplified like a megaphone, echoing through the village.
"I am the true Basileus of Sparta! In the name of our merciful Queen, I promise: you are free from this moment! Sparta's might will aid you! Rise up—no more domination by outsiders! Reclaim your strength to take up arms and fight!"
He didn't expect immediate uprising. They'd been crushed once; courage wouldn't come easy. Plus, just two had invaded, and plenty of Amazons remained. But he figured it was only a matter of time.
"Now, I will burn the invaders' ships! This will shatter their pride and momentum!"
With the warning given, he focused on combat. Helping Atalante push the foes back, he advanced toward the docks.
Dozens of Amazons remained in the village, but even outnumbered, he and Atalante held the advantage. Their power was that overwhelming. He'd swept a pirate den before; Amazons were no different.
"Get lost!"
He swatted an oncoming Amazon with one arm. Sweeping from inside to out with brute force, she flew into the air.
"Kyaa!"
Screaming, she crashed into an empty stall, shattering it noisily.
Crash!
His raw strength was beyond human. When another blocked with a shield, a front kick sent her flying shieldless, tumbling over 10 meters.
Such clashes led to a breakthrough rout to the docks. Only then did he draw his sword.
"Feel the wrath of the gods!"
Infusing Zeus's sword with divinity triggered supernatural phenomena. Crackle! Zap! The blade glowed white-hot, sparks flying as the sky darkened and fierce winds howled. Waves surged, rocking the moored ships.
Rumble! Boom!
Thunder like massive drums. He swung the sword down at a moored trireme.
Lightning struck, obliterating the bow in a deafening blast. Wood shards scattered like debris across the harbor.
"My god... a true deity."
An Amazon charging him dropped her weapon, murmuring in daze. The bolt had crushed their will to fight. No one could face such calamity.
A second bolt pulverized another trireme. Terrifying power.
"Hoo..."
Chaining such might was taxing, but bearable. Villagers poured out, gawking at the wreckage. Some even clashed with Amazons. The fallen ones were easy prey.
"You filthy bitches!"
"How dare you wreck our village!"
Pent-up rage fueled the mob beating injured Amazons. Calls rose to free captured vigilantes—likely the fighters under guard.
Gathering power for the final trireme. Destroying it would leave the Amazons desperate.
"Never set foot on the sea again!"
His shout heralded the third bolt, smashing the last ship.
Kaboom!
Debris flew even to him.
"Hoo..."
Three in a row wasn't easy. His thighs trembled faintly. Ceasing divinity, the lightning faded from Zeus's sword. The stormy sky cleared, waves calmed—dramatic, unbelievable.
Then a villager shouted loudly.
"Behold! He is a god-man, the noble Basileus of Sparta! This great one came to Naxos in person to save us!"
Who was hyping him like this? He'd expected positive reactions, but this was overt.
Curious, he looked—his eyes widened. Aitos, the pirate captain separated by Hippolyte, stood innocently among the villagers.
"Huh?"
A hollow laugh escaped. He'd figured the cunning bastard would survive, but blending seamlessly into an Amazon-occupied village?
"Let us all chant his name! His mere presence is an infinite honor for Naxos!"
Aitos masterfully incited the crowd. Normally, they'd spot an outsider, but chaos masked him. He exploited it well.
"Lord Peleus is the hero shaking the world lately! With him here, no need to fear the Amazon Queen! You all saw it—the mighty triremes shattered by lightning!"
His captain's voice carried conviction. The villagers erupted enthusiastically.
"Peleus!"
"Peleus!"
Grieving uninvited guests, now a savior appeared—they were ecstatic. They bound Amazons, chanting his name. Crowds swelled the harbor.
"Hero! Speak!"
Aitos timed it perfectly, setting the stage. Meeting eyes, the pirate flashed a sleazy grin.
"Heh..."
What a born sycophant. Quick-witted and competent, even steering the mood.
"Listen up!"
His shout silenced the market-like din. Many eyes fixed on him; more arrived.
"The invaders' strongest weapon is destroyed. I, Peleus, will lead you to freedom!"
"Waaaaah!!"
Cheers exploded. But among the excitable masses, rational voices emerged.
An old villager raised his staff high.
"Basileus of Sparta!"
"Speak, elder."
"This humble one has questions. We acknowledge you as our liberator. But these Amazons aren't all. Their main force left the village for some reason but will return. What's your plan?"
Reasonable doubt. Nodding agreement, the elder continued.
"Our young are mostly wounded, needing long recovery. They can't fight. With the Queen returning, what's your strategy? Joy is fine, but no reckless moves without a plan."
"Wise words, elder. Of course, I have countermeasures for the Amazon Queen's army."
Onlookers gasped in relief.
"Ooooh! We're saved!"
"Spartan troops incoming?!"
Expectant eyes. Logically, they'd assume a Spartan landing. But his ace was different.
"I intend to call upon the great sea god Triton!"
He'd also use Hippolyte for a hostage ploy against the Queen—though not very heroic, so unmentioned. Plenty of ways to harass them.
Grinning at the stunned villagers' reaction to "Triton."
"Yep, you gotta shake Artemis's lapdog to the bone for the full flavor."