"According to the goddess's will, if faced with difficulty, we may seek your guidance."
Draining a cup in one gulp, King Minos spoke solemnly, stating his intent, his eyes bright as he looked at Lorne sitting across from him.
"This time, I've invited you here to ask for your advice on how to deal with the upcoming second wave of the beast tide."
Clearly, after a period of observation and thought, he had finally confirmed who exactly was the one Athena had referred to as the person he truly needed to find.
Lorne put down his cup, raising an eyebrow slightly.
"They've retreated?"
"Not yet."
King Minos shook his head and spread out a sea chart presented by Princess Ariadne on the table, pointing to a stretch of sea not far from Crete.
"The first wave of the offensive was anticipated by us.
When they landed, they suffered a major loss. Many were killed or injured. Moreover, their leader, the demigod-level Siren Banshee, was slain by the divine envoy.
These beasts lost their leader, fell into chaos, and temporarily retreated to this location to rest and regroup."
As he spoke, the old man glanced at Anna across from him, nodding to express his gratitude and respect.
Hearing this, Lorne gave a faint glance at the little Medusa by his side.
So that's what happened.
No wonder last night's beast tide was wiped out so quickly.
Sensing Lorne's gaze, the little Medusa guiltily lowered her head.
However, the scolding she expected didn't come. Instead, a warm hand gently rested on her little head, softly patting.
As she peeked up stealthily, those purple eyes of his held only a faint pampering warmth and concern.
Her heart warmed at once. Feeling more confident, she straightened up and sat upright.
"Pa!" But just as her little head was upright, it was firmly thumped with a knuckle.
"Next time, don't you dare take such a risk alone!"
A soft hum sounded by her ear. Little Medusa held her head, sulking as she nodded.
After briefly scolding his overly reckless "little sister," Lorne refocused on the attack and asked the question he was most concerned about.
"What were the specific casualties on both sides?"
"Knossos City lost 37 people, with 58 lightly or seriously injured; Noxia City lost 87, with 153 wounded; Gidos City lost 92, with 118 wounded… Overall, nearly 200 people on Crete Island have completely lost combat capability."
King Minos paused, then added:
"Of course, the beasts suffered even heavier losses.
Rough estimates suggest over two thousand sea monsters and sea beasts, of various sizes, died in the first wave of assault."
Lorne listened quietly, his expression not loosening much.
With preparedness against an unprepared enemy, a kill ratio of nearly ten to one looked decent.
But the difference in scale between the Oceanus Sea and Crete Island was terrifying.
Based on his observations over the past decade on Aeos Island, most sea beasts and sea monsters in the Oceanus Sea were only low- to mid-tier creatures within a massive ecosystem. Their numbers were virtually endless.
Only those with divine blood could barely squeeze into the middle-to-upper tiers of that ecosystem.
But on Crete's side, humans were extremely limited in number.
Among all the cities, those who could leave civilian duties and form effective combat forces were even fewer—at most, tens of thousands in total.
Every loss was a major blow to Crete Island.
In the very first clash, 300 people lost combat ability. The situation was far from optimistic.
What's worse, this was just the vanguard wave—sea beasts driven forth to die first.
The real divine-blooded factions hadn't even shown themselves yet.
And if things became extreme, if Atlantis's million-strong army got involved, then let alone Lorne, not even Athena herself could save the Minoans.
No wonder the goddess of wisdom went to great lengths to avoid direct conflict between Crete and Atlantis, stirring trouble first in Olympus, cutting off the divine lines of the sea gods entirely.
Otherwise, the Minoans might as well start digging their own graves in advance.
Lorne sifted through the current situation in his mind, instinctively pinching his aching brow, silently consoling himself.
But… it's not all doom and gloom.
Sea beasts weren't like human armies. They could be summoned and dismissed freely, which was both a strength and a weakness.
If their leaders were taken out, the rest would scatter like sand.
And this is the mythological era.
On the battlefield, a powerful individual could easily shift the tide of battle and decide the outcome.
Just like this time as soon as Little Medusa killed that demigod-level Siren Banshee, the first wave of the beast tide instantly fell apart.
And if Atlantis's million-strong army had truly been enough to intimidate the gods, it wouldn't have sunk to the ocean floor.
No need to panic—it's still playable!
Lorne adjusted his mindset and spoke up with his assessment.
"Looks like the first beast tide really was a test."
"And also a revenge…"
King Minos sighed, the wrinkles on his forehead deepening, and quietly added,
"According to one of the captured Siren Banshees, the divine-blooded factions of the Oceanus Sea had gathered together to launch this beast tide in retaliation… because humans had been slaughtering them in large numbers lately."
"..."
Lorne's eyelid couldn't help but twitch. After a brief pause, his voice took on a tone of righteous indignation.
"Heh, they really washed their hands of it, huh? Looks like this time, Crete can't pin it on that sea god!"
The aged King Minos said nothing, but his fists clenched even tighter, bones cracking faintly beneath the strain.
His entire face shifted between shadow and fury.
Seeing how just the mention of that old nemesis nearly sent the elder into full-blown blood rage and berserker mode, Lorne discreetly scooted his chair backward and quickly cleared his throat.
"Ahem… Your Majesty, there's something I've long been curious about. I hope you can shed some light on it."
King Minos snapped out of it, restraining the fury on his face.
He forced a faint smile and nodded slightly.
"Please, go ahead."
"That grand sacrificial offering to Poseidon all those years ago—it couldn't have been so simple, right?
Normally, when mortals offer sacrifices to gods, the offerings come from mortals themselves.
But in that case, the god prepared the offering? That doesn't really make sense…"
Lorne noticed Minos's body stiffen ever so slightly, and he immediately understood.
He smoothly continued, his tone soft but heavy with implication.
"Besides, for a mere sacrificial beast, would it really be worth it for a ruler known for his wisdom to risk his reputation, and even risk angering the gods, just to keep it?"
"No… I did keep it…"
To Lorne's surprise, King Minos slowly shook his head, openly confirming his act of blasphemy.
But that aged frame trembled slightly, veins bulging on his clenched fists, as if he were enduring immense humiliation and rage.
After a long silence, the old man turned to his daughter, who stood quietly nearby, and spoke in a deep voice.
"Ariadne, go check how the kitchen preparations are coming along…"
"Yes, Father."
Quick-witted as ever, the princess instantly caught his meaning, nodded, and withdrew from the courtyard.
She gently closed the door behind her and vanished around the bend in the path.
Once his daughter was out of sight, golden divine power rippled from King Minos, erecting a sealed barrier that enveloped the entire courtyard.
Another long silence passed before the old king finally made up his mind. With pain and effort, he began to speak.
"Because… Poseidon deceived me. That wasn't just any bull—it was the embodiment of Crete's divinity and sovereign authority!"
"...!"
Hearing this long-buried secret for the first time, all three listeners were struck to the core, ears perked to hear the full truth from the man who lived it.
"Back then, during my fight for the throne, I did use some less-than-honorable means. I feared the goddess's judgment, so I turned to Poseidon, praying for his protection.
But I never imagined he'd take the opportunity to extract the entire divine essence and authority of Crete, transform it into a bull, and deliver it to me, demanding I sacrifice it to him!"
King Minos drank a cup of fruit wine, slammed the cup heavily on the table, and straightened his back.
"Although I long for the protection of the gods, I never planned to sell the whole country to Poseidon! I am the king of the Minoans, not a slave tied to the chariot of the Atlanteans!"
Then, the old man took a deep breath, his eyes cold and firm.
"The authority of Crete is not something Poseidon has the right to meddle with! Only the Great Mother who shelters and guides us, only the ruler of the Minoans—Athena—is worthy of that offering!"
(End of this Chapter)
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