Chapter 64: 60 chapters: Rather than proving yourself, it's better to smear the enemy.
"Lady Goddess!"
Upon recognizing the newcomer, Ariadne, the chief priest, lit up with joy and hurried forward with a respectful trot to greet her.
The aged lion that followed closely humbled himself by bowing his proud head, his eyes filled with shame and bitterness.
"To have troubled you to come here personally is truly a failure on my part."
"Enough, I'm not here to listen to such futile ramblings."
Athena waved her hand to dismiss the formalities of King Minos and his chief priest, set up a barrier with another gesture, and got straight to the point.
"Besides Knossos, what about the other cities? Start with those."
Ariadne, responsible for liaising with all regions, nodded respectfully and reported the compiled details of each city to her Goddess Athena with accuracy.
This naturally included her brother's somewhat unruly actions.
After listening attentively, Athena nodded slightly, her face showing little surprise.
The situation in the Cretan cities was much as she had heard from Little Medusa, with little difference.
Although there were unexpected losses due to negligence, these were still within controllable limits.
As for how King Minos would deal with his disobedient beloved sons, that was not something she needed to concern herself with.
If she had to intervene in even such trivial matters, then his position as the King of Crete was better off relinquished sooner rather than later.
Filtering the information in her mind briefly, Athena opened her eyes and looked at the old lion beside her that was showing signs of ageing.
"Hmm, I'm more or less informed about the matters on the island. And the sea? Any news about this sudden onslaught of the giant wave?"
"Yes!"
King Minos nodded emphatically, his golden eyes emitting intense frustration and anger.
"During your time back in Olympus, the Temple of the Sea God claimed that a detachment of the Atlantean Imperial Guard vanished near the waters of Occhanos, and there were mass slaughters of sea monsters with divine blood, including one of Poseidon's demigod offspring..."
"So, they suspect it's the work of the Minosians?"
Athena's eyebrows slightly raised, and then she nodded thoughtfully.
"That makes sense. To hunt down a large number of divine-blooded sea monsters and a demigod offspring of Poseidon, and then make a detachment of the Atlantean Imperial Guard that came to investigate disappear without a trace is not an easy feat. And looking at the entire nearby sea, it seems only Crete Island could have managed such a deed."
Following that, Athena glanced at King Minos beside her and then added another sentence.
"Besides, the motive also seems plausible..."
"Lady Goddess, I have always remembered your teachings and never once initiated such conflicts!"
"Hold us accountable?"
Athena's lips tightened as she let out a cold, mocking laugh.
"Accountable for what? Shouldn't it be me demanding accountability from Poseidon? He raised massive waves without distinguishing the innocent from the guilty, destroying 17 harbors and 25 villages on Crete Island in succession, burying thousands of acres of fertile land, leading to the death of thousands and the displacement of tens of thousands, and causing over 300 ships at sea to sink because of him. Shouldn't it be him who's held responsible first?"
"What?"
Ariadne, standing nearby, was utterly astounded by the listed damages, exaggerated tenfold or more.
Even King Minos himself was struggling to make sense of it.
Seeing their naive reactions, the Goddess of Wisdom rubbed her forehead in frustration, cautioning them with heartfelt earnestness.
"Remember, when the other party isn't playing fair, don't fall into the trap of proving your innocence, trying to explain yourself to others. Those who slander you know better than anyone how innocent you are. Such rebuttals are endless."
King Minos and Princess Ariadne nodded as if they understood, but the confusion in their eyes showed they still couldn't fully grasp the concept.
Noticing this, Athena pinched her somewhat aching brow, mumbling to herself.
Explaining this to honest and simple-minded people is truly exhausting.
If he were here, he'd surely grasp it without need for explanation, keeping up with my thoughts...
While reminiscing about someone who was rarely on the same wavelength as her, the Goddess of Wisdom steered the conversation in a more straightforward direction.
"The logic is simple. If Poseidon can suspect that Crete Island massacred his Divine Blood kin and wiped out his Atlantean Guard,
then I can also suspect that the Atlantean Guard hasn't vanished at all, and it's all a self-directed ruse meant to frame us, with the objective of launching another great purge against humanity and thereby expanding his divine authority from the sea onto land.
The Chief God might ignore other affairs, but he would definitely inquire about such a matter."
With this realization, the father and daughter finally saw the light.
Indeed, if all are baseless accusations, then who is cleaner than whom?
Instead of proving oneself, it is better to tarnish the enemy!
As long as the noise is loud enough, Poseidon won't be able to meddle overtly."
"Don't celebrate too soon!"
However, before the two could relax, Athena doused them with a cold reality check.
"Even if I can hold back Poseidon and the mighty forces of Atlantis, I may not be able to fend off all the trouble at sea."
As she spoke, the Goddess of Wisdom turned her gaze toward the vast sea shrouded in night, her eyes distant, and her face reflecting deep concern.
"I have a premonition that Poseidon won't let this go so easily this time..."