The reason Alaric had gone to such lengths to infiltrate the Argonauts was not merely to pass the time. There was another reason, this very moment.
That was to dismantle, from within, the Olympian pantheon's rule over Greece.
One crucial step was naturally to drive a wedge between the Olympian gods and their strongest earthly force, the demigods and heroes.
However, Alaric understood this deeply. As demigods and heroes, these people might be noble or despicable, foolish or shrewd.
Their personalities varied greatly, but they all shared one thing in common, they possessed independent judgment and their own thoughts.
Without such qualities, one could not be called a hero.
With their deeply ingrained faith in the Olympian gods, even if Alaric were to directly and fully reveal the gods' conspiracy behind the expedition, expose their despicable nature, and present concrete evidence, they still would not believe him.
He might even be suspected of harboring ulterior motives.
But now, Alaric had changed his approach. By indirectly leaking information bit by bit, allowing them to search for, gather, and analyze the evidence themselves, the outcome was entirely different.
Alaric understood human nature very well.
Generally speaking, people are always confident, often arrogant, and these heroes who surpassed ordinary mortals were even more so.
In such situations, if you want someone to believe something, telling them the truth outright is far less effective than letting them believe they discovered it themselves.
Now, the Argonauts all believed that the gods' conspiracy was something they had uncovered through their own investigations.
As a result, they accepted it wholeheartedly and naturally developed resentment toward the gods.
Alaric believed that, constrained by the gods' overwhelming power, they would not dare to openly express this hatred.
Yet it would linger in their hearts, growing stronger with time.
For ordinary people, whose influence was limited, no matter how much resentment they harbored, it would have little effect on the gods.
But these heroes were different.
These heroes, along with their fallen companions, were all extraordinary individuals, among the most influential figures in all of Greece, much like major influencers on social platforms.
Such people were not necessarily revered or trusted by everyone, but their influence was immense.
Their views, their grievances, would unconsciously affect those around them, those who admired them, as well as their descendants.
And in Greek mythology, the descendants of heroes had a very high chance of becoming heroes themselves.
Alaric believed that with their existence, and with a bit of added momentum, this resentment toward the gods would gradually become the mainstream mindset among humanity.
People would slowly come to see the true nature of the gods.
Though these beings stood high above, governing various laws, at their core, humanity did not need them.
Humans could live well on their own, and even expand and strengthen their civilization.
And the gods?
They were nothing more than a group that sought to exploit humanity, treating them as ants and toys.
Once this way of thinking spread, borrowing the power of that tide, Alaric would be able to accomplish even more.
After coldly observing the Argonauts for a time, Alaric suddenly sensed something. He quietly left the deck alone and descended into the lower cabin.
Due to craftsmanship limitations, even the Argo, built with divine participation, did not have a fully sealed deck.
Upon entering the lower cabin, even without lighting a torch, sunlight streaming through the gaps in the deck illuminated the space.
Since all the crew were gathered on deck for the meeting, the cabin was now completely empty. Along both sides, near the oar ports, rows of oars lay scattered.
,
Yet on the present Argo, even during the busiest times, most of these oars were left unused.
"Do you see these oars?" Alaric suddenly spoke, standing alone in the cabin.
"I still remember when the Argo first set sail. This place was packed with people. Their leader was the great hero Heracles.
Under his command, everyone worked together, shouting in rhythm as they rowed, sending the Argo toward distant horizons.
Unfortunately, such a lively scene can no longer be seen, and all of this is because of your conspiracy."
No one answered him.
Yet it was as though he sensed something, his gaze locking onto a corner of the cabin.
"Deceiving mortals for your own selfish interests, sending them on a journey doomed to death, such behavior is despicable even by divine standards."
"Isn't that right?"
"Athena."
The moment Alaric spoke that name, a burst of golden light suddenly flared in that corner.
In the next instant, a woman appeared there.
The woman wore a white robe resembling a dress, and over it, a suit of resplendent golden armor that shimmered with light.
The armor consisted only of a breastplate, skirt armor, and helmet.
Armor symbolizing war and a robe symbolizing civilization and wisdom, such a combination was inherently contradictory.
On anyone else, wearing both would look strange.
But this woman was an exception.
The gleaming armor made her appear valiant and heroic, while the flowing robe rendered her beautiful and wise.
These contradictory qualities coexisted upon her, blending together in a strangely perfect harmony.
Alaric recognized her identity at a glance, the goddess Athena.
If Artemis, the moon goddess, inspired feelings of innocence and wildness, if Aphrodite, goddess of love and beauty, evoked passion and desire.
If Hecate, who governed magic, inspired mystery and wisdom… then this goddess conveyed something else entirely, coldness and rationality.
War. Wisdom. The Underworld.
All three were aspects of her divinity, and each one radiated cruelty and cold detachment.
This was the essence of the goddess.
Her violet hair nearly reached the ground, and in her hands she held a spear and a round shield, the image most familiar to all of Athena.
Speaking of which, why was Athena's hair violet? Could there really be Saints walking this world?
As Alaric observed Athena with an appreciative gaze, the goddess spoke.
Her voice was like ice that had endured for ten thousand years, utterly cold.
"Who exactly are you? And why did you join the Argonauts?"
"Me? I'm just a mage who acts on a whim," Alaric shrugged casually. "As for why I joined the Argonauts, naturally, it was also on a whim."
"On a whim?" Athena was clearly displeased by Alaric's perfunctory reply. "Are you mocking my wisdom?"
"Or do you want me to force the truth out of you?"
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