"Buying slaves?"
Athena glanced at Medusa upon hearing this.
"Other city-states are full of slaves; they're not rare. Why do those Spartans insist on buying them from us?"
"Well…"
The leader of the Athenians seemed a bit troubled.
"Just speak directly."
"Yes."
With Athena's approval, the leader of the Athenians cleared his throat before slowly saying, "Actually, last night, the Spartan commander brought a few Spartan warriors and sparred with our men. Just five of them managed to beat all our warriors guarding the slaves until they couldn't get up… Seeing this, the Spartan commander said that we Athenians were all weaklings, and if things continued like this, we might as well surrender directly when the Atlanteans arrived. Rather than letting those slaves go to waste, it would be better to sell them to the Spartans, let them train them, and then have them help us fight the Atlanteans."
"Five people, and they knocked down all the guards of Athens's slave camp? I remember there were three hundred warriors guarding the slave camp, right?"
Athena's tone was so steady that no fluctuations could be discerned, yet it sent shivers down the spine of the Athenian leader.
He immediately knelt, pleading to Athena:
"Forgive me, Goddess, it's all my fault for not training our warriors properly! I've shamed Athens in front of Sparta!"
Athena looked down at him, and after a long moment, she slowly said, "Get up. It's not your fault. Athens has only just been founded, and you are not battle-hardened warriors. It's normal to lack combat experience and not be able to defeat the Spartans."
The leader of the Athenians stood up, walked directly to the side, humbly lowered his head, stood straight, not daring to utter a sound, while Athena propped her chin in her hand, deep in thought.
"Does Ares know about Medusa? But how does he know Medusa?"
The Goddess's eyes flickered, but then she looked up and caught sight of the black bow hair ornament Medusa wore on the side of her hair. She paused, then asked:
"Medusa, why haven't I seen you wear that bow hair ornament on your head before?"
Medusa touched the hair ornament on her head, recalled what Ares had told her last night, and truthfully replied to Athena:
"Yesterday, I went to the slave camp to deliver food and met a newly captured slave. I gave him some food and water, and he gave me this 'relic of his mother' in return."
"A slave?"
The Goddess's gaze shifted to the leader of the Athenians, who quickly lowered his head and replied, "Indeed, that happened. Yesterday, a barbarian was running outside the city and even stole our warriors' bows and arrows. Later, our men caught him and threw him into the slave camp."
"Is that so? Humph."
Athena then beckoned to Medusa with a gentle expression:
"Medusa, come here."
Medusa, as a priestess, walked obediently like a doll at the Goddess's summons.
Athena extended a finger, pinching Medusa's delicate and fair chin, making her lift her head slightly. With her other hand, she gently stroked Medusa's cheek, saying softly:
"My dear Medusa, from now on, you mustn't casually associate with any unsavory characters."
"I understand."
A flicker of fear crossed Medusa's violet eyes as she whispered.
"Mm, good girl."
Athena smoothly stroked her hair, gently removed the headpiece she was wearing, and then lightly squeezed it.
In a flash of golden light, the hair ornament instantly shattered into a pile of blue spiritual particles and vanished.
Then, Athena withdrew her hands and coldly commanded:
"Have someone dispose of that slave."
"Yes."
"Also." Athena stopped the Athenian leader, who was about to carry out the order, and continued to instruct, "Those Spartans want to buy slaves, so let them buy them. However, this time, they cannot exchange gold or silver, but must exchange weapons and equipment, or manufacturing techniques."
"Your will."
...
After finishing her day's work, Medusa returned home and stood by the window, watching several Athenians drag yesterday's slave out of the slave camp and pull him towards a forest outside the city.
Compared to yesterday, this slave seemed very sluggish, as if the soul in his head had left his body, but even so, the Athenians did not slacken. After stabbing this slave to death with spears, they thoroughly cremated his body with a bonfire before returning to the city-state with peace of mind.
Meanwhile, negotiations between the Spartans and the Athenians resumed. Sparta sent a staff officer, who was intensely discussing something with several elders in Athens. After a long time, both sides seemed to reach a compromise. The Spartans, with grim faces, received the Pelasgians from the slave camp guarded by the Athenians and settled them within their own encampment.
After seeing her former people enter the protection zone of the Spartans, Medusa withdrew her gaze from the window. She walked back to her bed, knelt on it, folded her hands together in front of her chest, bowed her head slightly, and silently began to pray.
However, she was not praying to Athena, the Goddess of Wisdom whom she currently served, but to another deity known for tyranny and fear.
Her prayer was quickly answered. After connecting with her, Ares directly said to her:
"How is it? I didn't break my word, did I?"
"Mm." Medusa affirmed, "You truly are a God who keeps His promises, unlike the Goddess."
"Hmph, did Athena destroy your headpiece today, and then kill the slave who gave you the headpiece?"
"Yes." Speaking of this topic, Medusa asked somewhat strangely, "I don't understand why you deliberately exposed the connection between us. If I didn't wear that hair ornament and hid it, the Goddess shouldn't have discovered it."
"Wouldn't discover it… that's impossible." Ares said, "Understand this: you serve Athena, the Goddess of Wisdom. You've only been in Athens for a short time, and the Spartans I oversee are already trying to buy your followers from the Athenians. Do you think Athena wouldn't be suspicious? So, actively exposing it to her is actually a good thing. If you don't hide your hair ornament and even tell her how you got it, then she'll most likely only think that slave was my informant, and that you were passively accepting, being monitored by me. But if you hid the hair ornament and she discovered it, then she would certainly realize that I had colluded with you."
"Oh." Medusa was somewhat dazed after hearing this. "So there's so much to it?"
"You don't need to know so much about scheming. Just be a priestess with peace of mind, and pray to me if you have difficulties." Ares said, "Athena is not an opponent you can deal with, and I estimate that even if I deliberately let her destroy that hair ornament, she will still suspect whether I have long colluded with you. The subsequent probing will probably not be few, so pay attention yourself. Remember, the more you say, the more mistakes you make. When she asks you questions, just nod or shake your head, and don't say anything."
"I understand." Medusa nodded.
"Tomorrow, the Atlanteans should be in the waters off Athens. As we discussed earlier, I will bring the Pelasgians and the Spartans to the front lines together. There will certainly be casualties, as freedom also has a price, but I can guarantee to minimize their casualties."
Ares said at last.
"I understand." Medusa nodded. "Thank you, God of War."
"No need to thank me." Ares said meaningfully, "Medusa, after all, we are the same; we are both prisoners of certain existences."