"Enough said about these old stories," said King Minos, snapping back to the present and turning his attention to the enigmatic sage favored by Goddess Athena, addressing the most pressing trouble at hand.
"Regarding the beast tide, what suggestions do you have?"
"Can you calculate the next time they will act?" Luo En countered.
"Despite losing many Sea Beasts and monsters, it's far from a devastating blow to them. After all, there are too many of these creatures in the Sea of Okeanos, and it seems they are constantly gathering near Crete Island."
At this point, King Minos's face turned somewhat ugly.
"Based on their current rate of assembly, it won't take three days before they can replenish their numbers, and at that time, I fear they will launch a second wave of attack."
Luo En took a sip of the fruit wine in his cup and added solemnly.
"Furthermore, with the first probing attempt, they should have roughly determined the defense capabilities of Crete Island. The intensity of the second beast tide will likely escalate dramatically, and at that time, more of those with Divine Blood are expected to join the battle."
Suddenly, the atmosphere at the dining table became even more oppressive.
"The battle has not yet begun; such expressions are not very good, are they?"
Luo En lightened the somber mood with a slight jest and began to share his general thoughts.
"My suggestion is, while the Sea Beasts are regrouping, to move the population as quickly as possible, preserve the living force, and build fortresses along the coast. We need to construct a tiered defense, linking the cities of Crete into a cohesive whole. We must block the enemy's advance at every step, delaying as much as possible, and trade space for time..."
"Just delaying won't suffice, considering the influx of refugees, the reserves of food, weapons, and medicine in the city are unlikely to last through winter," King Minos reminded in a low voice, hesitation in his eyes.
"Don't worry, our adversaries are more anxious than we are," Luo En reassured with a contemplative smile, pointing toward distant Mount Olympus.
"Crete Island is a strategic passage in and out of the Sea of Okeanos. To cut off this connection from the outside world, they would need to blockade a significant portion of the nearby sea. Such a large disturbance cannot last long, unless these Sea Beasts intend to oppose the whole of Greece.
If that were the case, it would be just right to issue a call to arms, inviting the heroes of all city-states. Delphi, Corinth, Thebes, Sparta... Don't forget to send word to these renowned city-states. For the future of Greece, we need to unite and join forces on Crete Island to confront this natural calamity of the beast tide and reopen the maritime routes blocked by the beasts."
Even Hestia could discern the malicious intent behind this candid response.
Delphi is Apollo's domain, Corinth worships the Sun God Helios, Thebes and Sparta have ties to the War God Ares; enlisting so many city-states would effectively drag various deities into the fray, forcing them to re-choose their sides.
By then, Poseidon, the ruler of the oceans, would be the one on the hot seat.
As for why not invite the heroes of those city-states right now, the reason is simple.
Without a related loss of interests, why would they readily agree to stand up for the Minosians?
Apparently, this beast tide wasn't an unsolvable problem, as long as we could drag it out long enough.
Luo En's eyes flickered as he stroked Little Medusa's head and smiled as he presented the contingency plan he had already prepared.
"Although Anna is the Divine Envoy chosen by the Goddess, she doesn't have a dedicated priest. I can temporarily serve as her scribe, responsible for recording and delivering messages."
"Good, we will do as you suggest!"
King Minos nodded repeatedly, fully agreeing to the arrangement.
As Luo En and King Minos further finalized the details of accommodating the population and building the nearshore defense system, the banquet gradually came to an end.
With the tables a mess, everyone full from the meal, the four of them slowly stood up.
"There is probably a lot to prepare and deal with today, so I won't keep you," said King Minos.
In the face of crisis, as the host, King Minos was not being courteous. After calling for his second daughter to escort the guests, he strode towards the royal palace's administrative hall.
It wouldn't be long before the wave of beasts would return. He needed to use the time wisely to arrange everything that could be arranged.
Watching the almost entirely white-haired old man in the sunlight, Luo En couldn't help feeling an inexplicable sense of empathy for the dying rabbit and the grieving fox.
As divine offspring, they were merely playthings in the gods' games as long as they couldn't transcend the bonds of fate.
However, that subtle emotion lasted only a brief moment.
Luo En, who had already forged a resilient heart through various hardships, waved to the two behind him.
"Let's go, it's getting late," he said.
The understated yet luxurious carriage rolled out of the palace, through the much quieter streets of Knossos City, and came to a steady stop in front of Hestia's home, with the three disembarking one by one.
Approaching the door, Luo En turned back to look at Princess Ariadne, who had accompanied him, and asked in a deep voice.
"Can the temple obtain the specific military and population data of Crete Island, as well as a map of the whole territory's terrain and rivers?"
"All of that should be in the archives," Princess Ariadne nodded and offered, "If you need them, I'll have someone send them immediately."
In the earliest stages of civilization, Western priests often held the power of the gods and were also the bearers of culture and knowledge.
Asking them was often more reliable than asking lower-level officials.
Seeing the intelligent princess so understanding, Luo En nodded in satisfaction, waved his farewell, and stepped into his house.
But as soon as he casually closed the door, an unbearable voice echoed loudly in the living room.
"How could Zeus do this!"