Little Garden 116-120

Title: I Gave You a Chance, But You’re Useless

“An unfamiliar ceiling…”

Aslan lay on his bed, staring blankly at the ceiling of his room.

Though he had only spent one night under Scathach’s guidance, Aslan felt as if months had passed.

Yes, it felt like being beaten for months, nearly dying multiple times each day.

A teacher like Scathach was truly unbearable for ordinary people.

Thinking about how these days would continue, who knows for how long…

Aslan felt his future was incredibly bleak.

He wanted to run away.

But after a moment’s hesitation, Aslan ultimately didn’t flee.

He chose to get up and face this new day.

“Good morning, Leticia.”

Dressed in a black-and-white gothic maid outfit, Leticia gave a slight nod to him.

“Good morning, Master. Breakfast will be ready soon.”

“However, it seems Miss Karyou hasn’t woken up yet, so please, Master, go call her.”

As she spoke, Leticia gave him a sweet smile, though it carried a hint of distance.

Hearing this, Aslan’s hand, which was about to pat Leticia, froze. He nodded awkwardly.

“Good grief, why is Karyou still sleeping at this hour?”

As he spoke, Aslan couldn’t help but show a mischievous grin. He planned to prank Karyou.

To make sure Karyou wouldn’t keep lazing around in bed.

As for Leticia, she calmly went to prepare breakfast. She didn’t want to be the cause of any influence on the relationship between Karyou and Aslan.

And because of a certain perverted Baron, she disliked pedophiles who were drawn to her current appearance.

Though she knew full well that her appearance was incredibly cute.

Creatures like pedophiles should just stay in prison!

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

On the other side, in Karyou’s room, Aslan quietly opened the door.

He saw the girl inside, her head buried in the blanket, sleeping sprawled across the bed.

Seeing Karyou hiding under the covers, Aslan couldn’t resist showing a wicked grin.

“Absolute Freeze!”

He slipped his hand, freshly chilled from ice, into Karyou’s blanket and placed it on her neck.

“You could’ve killed me!”

Karyou jolted awake instantly. She stared at Aslan with a confused expression, completely unaware that the strap of her nightgown had slipped off her smooth shoulder.

Karyou was currently wearing only a thin nightgown.

“You’re grown up, but you’re still pulling boring pranks like this.”

“Are all men this annoying?”

However, Aslan didn’t respond right away. His eyes were fixed on the other strap of Karyou’s nightgown, which was about to slip.

If Karyou moved just a little more, that strap would fall too.

Seeing him not responding immediately, Karyou followed his gaze and noticed the strap on her shoulder.

She froze for a moment, a bit confused.

(One side’s already slipped, showing plenty. And you’re staring at the other side that hasn’t fallen yet?)

(Is this strap really that fascinating?)

Karyou gained a deeper understanding of just how annoying men could be.

“If you want to look, just look openly. Don’t sneak around.”

After all, she had already been touched and seen before. Their relationship had long been established.

Especially after the hot spring incident a few days ago, Karyou had thought it over.

Just treat it like being bitten by a dog.

So she relaxed about it. After all, this was something she’d face sooner or later.

“Are you serious?”

Hearing her words, Aslan was thrilled and asked in surprise.

“No!”

Karyou snapped irritably, pulling up her strap, getting out of bed, and heading to the vanity to get ready.

After brushing her hair and putting on hair accessories, as she prepared to change clothes, Karyou turned around.

“Why are you still here?”

“Didn’t you tell me to look openly?”

Aslan said with a hint of sadness, a trace of regret on his face.

He shouldn’t have asked, “Are you serious?”

If he hadn’t, he might’ve actually seen Karyou change openly.

Then he was promptly thrown out with a pillow.

*BANG!*

Karyou slammed the door shut and started changing.

As for Aslan, he stood outside, hugging the pillow, waiting for her to come out so they could eat together.

Honestly, he felt the relationship between him and Karyou was developing strangely.

For some reason, it felt like a married couple, but also like siblings, and sometimes like enemies.

But it didn’t feel like a normal couple or fiancés.

He and Karyou hadn’t even held hands up to now.

The development of this relationship felt incredibly odd.

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

After a lively breakfast with Karyou, Leticia, and Kurousagi, Aslan went to play games with Karyou.

The strangest fact was that Little Garden actually had internet? Can you believe that?

Even No Name was covered.

A place without electricity somehow had internet?

The Gift used to access the internet was extremely expensive, and the signal was unstable, though the speed was decent.

But if you thought about it, signal fluctuations made sense when someone was fighting in Little Garden.

As for who managed the internet? Who else but Thousand Eyes.

How else did Thousand Eyes gather so much information?

But due to concerns about information leaks and the high cost, its popularity in Little Garden was so-so.

Its utility wasn’t as great as in the information era. It was tightly regulated. The network’s reliability in Little Garden was worse than roadside gossip.

If you wanted accurate information and intelligence services, buy them offline from Thousand Eyes.

So, it was mostly used for gaming. And the internet cost was exorbitant—100 Thousand Eyes Gold per month.

As for Kurousagi and Leticia, they weren’t idling like Aslan and Karyou.

All of No Name’s affairs fell to them.

“Big Brother Aslan, someone named Lauis is here to see you.”

While Aslan and Karyou were engrossed in gaming, Lily’s voice suddenly came from the door.

“Lauis? Who’s that? Do I know him?”

Aslan was stunned, unable to process for a moment. He turned to Karyou.

Karyou saw his confused look and explained.

“You weren’t here a few days ago, so you might not know. Lauis replaced Aishelia as the leader of Perseus. Probably around the time you were out.”

“It was a big deal back then. Even Shiroyasha stepped in to mediate.”

“But Aishelia ended up falling to Demon Lord status. She took most of Perseus’s Gifts, along with all the Legacy Gifts, and ran off.”

Karyou had heard it was quite a spectacle. Many people watched.

Who would’ve thought Athena’s proud knight and the leader who brought Perseus to its peak, Aishelia, would end up like that?

But such a huge scandal was suppressed by Thousand Eyes and the Greek Pantheon.

“But I don’t know why Perseus is looking for you.”

Karyou eyed him suspiciously, quickly considering possibilities.

“I heard before Aishelia fell, she was working with you. Could it be…”

Seeing the gossip-hungry look on Karyou’s face, Aslan couldn’t help but flick her forehead.

“Don’t think weird things. It has nothing to do with me. I only met Aishelia once.”

“Let’s go see.”

Aslan put down his controller and waved his hand.

Karyou, however, wasn’t interested. After all, this was Aslan’s community business, and she couldn’t be bothered to get involved.

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

Wearing a casual shirt, brass Hermes boots on his feet, and his originally neat golden hair now half-dyed black.

Especially that slight sneer and arrogance on his face.

This was Perseus’s new successor? Why did Aslan feel like Perseus was doomed sooner or later?

No wonder in the original story, Perseus ended up like that, even getting erased from the roster by Izayoi.

Lauis left a terrible first impression on Aslan.

But because of his cooperation with Aishelia, despite his poor feelings toward Lauis, Aslan was still willing to give him a chance to interact.

However, Lauis, sitting on the white sofa, clearly had no intention of peaceful interaction.

The moment he opened his mouth, Aslan knew he came with bad intentions.

“Hey, No Name, I’m giving you a chance to ally with Perseus.”

“As long as you return the Demon Star you obtained through despicable means.”

Lauis spoke recklessly and arrogantly. In his eyes, Aslan’s community was no longer the Arcadia of old.

It was just a No Name that had lost its name, without even a flag, and its main forces gone. How could it be called a community?

It was just a mess stitched back together with Shiroyasha’s help.

Only Leticia and that moon rabbit still had some value.

Of course, Perseus’s current state wasn’t much better.

But compared to the No Name community, it was still far superior. At least Perseus could still produce Gifts for sale.

Now, because of Aishelia, Perseus had lost all its Legacy Gifts except the Demon Star Algol, which was used as compensation.

Perseus currently had no strength to sustain a Four-Digit-level community. So, to stabilize their position, Lauis had to take back the Demon Star Algol.

How could a Legacy Gift be given away so easily? That was Aishelia’s mistake!

Lauis thought angrily.

Allying with a community that lost its name was already giving Aslan and the others enough honor.

What more could they be dissatisfied with?

“This isn’t the attitude for negotiation.”

People would laugh when they were speechless. Aslan was like that now. He burst out laughing because of Lauis.

He had no idea what kind of mindset Lauis had to say something like that.

Did he not recognize Aslan, the one who created the legend of saving the world the fastest?

Or was he simply not qualified to know?

Looking at Lauis, Aslan couldn’t help but show a hint of pity in his eyes.

-

Title: Please, Mister, Uphold Justice for Aishelia!

Indeed, at this moment, the relationship between Aslan and Shiroyasha, as well as Aslan’s strength, was known only to the higher-ups.

And Lauis, whether in terms of power or qualifications, had no way of knowing this information.

Unless he paid a hefty price to buy it from Thousand Eyes or if Aishelia herself had revealed it.

But… this poor kid didn’t realize it.

No wonder he was so bold.

It should be noted that even the Planeswalker community, which Aslan casually founded to sell Magic: The Gathering, had already been evaluated by Thousand Eyes as having the influence of a Five-Digit level.

After all, the disposable storage Gift Card, priced at a thousand Thousand Eyes Gold, was just too good, with an impressively large storage space.

For context, the cost to cross a Boundary Gate was only a thousand Thousand Eyes Gold per trip.

Of course, this was for individuals. The cost for communities or special cargo shipments was different.

However, after returning from the Halloween Queen, Aslan had specifically adjusted the production of the storage cards, removing the world elements within them and turning them into disposable space bubbles.

This was to prevent their essence from being exposed again.

After all, for Aslan, who had already reached Four-Digit level, creating tens of thousands of cards didn’t take much effort.

As for No Name at the moment, it was only held back because it hadn’t reclaimed its flag. Once it did, with Aslan, Karyou, Leticia, Kurousagi, Saeko, and Shizuka, its rise wouldn’t be slow at all.

While it wouldn’t return to Arcadia’s golden age, matching an ordinary Four-Digit community wouldn’t be difficult.

“In terms of strength and status, you have no right to speak to me like that!”

Aslan’s face showed a hint of anger. If Lauis had come to negotiate sincerely, Aslan would have let Leticia assist him, and cooperation wouldn’t have been an issue.

But who gave Lauis the audacity to be so rude?

As he spoke, Aslan no longer concealed his aura. The power of a Four-Digit level erupted instantly.

With a touch of Aslan’s anger and a trace of killing intent he couldn’t fully control from Scathach’s training, it immediately enveloped Lauis.

In an instant, Lauis couldn’t move.

A Four-Digit level was already considered upper-level, or a Main God. The number of Four-Digit beings in Little Garden was extremely small.

Even a community like Avalon only had a dozen or so.

As for Lauis, he was barely touching the Five-Digit level.

“Sorry, Mister, I was out of line!”

Without hesitation, Lauis dropped to his knees and admitted his mistake to Aslan.

His speed was so swift and his attitude so sincere that it caught Aslan off guard.

Aslan rubbed his chin in confusion. He didn’t even know what to say about this Lauis.

No, he had no pride, so he seemed utterly petty?

How was he supposed to punish Lauis?

“Forget it, just go.”

Aslan had no intention of wasting time on Lauis. He waved his hand casually.

Arguing with a clown like this would only make him look petty. If word got out, it would damage his reputation. It wasn’t worth it.

However, Lauis remained kneeling, showing no intention of moving.

“So, how long are you going to kneel there?”

“Please, Mister, uphold justice for Leader Aishelia!”

Still kneeling, Lauis spoke loudly and sincerely.

The truth was, his aunt had been slandered. No one knew this better than he did.

Even the loss of Perseus’s accumulated treasures and Gifts over the years was due to his own mistakes, not because Aishelia stole them.

Because it was meaningless. As Athena’s disciple, rated by Athena as a Guardian Knight, Aishelia had led the once-lazy Perseus to its peak.

No one understood his strong and loyal aunt better than he did.

As for the stolen Legacy Gifts of Perseus? That was a false accusation.

It was clear that the clan elders wanted to capture Aishelia after she used the Legacy Gifts, but they were easily killed by her.

If Aishelia hadn’t given the Demon Star to Aslan, she might have already been caught.

So, the news that Aishelia had taken all of Perseus’s Legacy Gifts spread quickly.

But it was clear that she had exchanged the Demon Star for gene-editing technology Authority and even helped Asclepius’s Divinity reach Three-Digit level.

So why did it turn into her giving the Demon Star to her lover for protection?

Aslan: ??????????

As for the gene-editing Authority, it was also reported that they had painstakingly collected it.

“Huh? I’m involved in this too?”

Aslan stared at Lauis in confusion. No, this was Perseus’s internal conflict—why drag him into it?

Plus, with the Ouroboros incident, he had only met Aishelia twice.

So, they didn’t even care about their reputation to bring down Aishelia?

But this was your internal conflict—why involve me?

“Yes, Mister.”

Still kneeling, Lauis looked up at Aslan with great humility.

“They also said that Aishelia, for your sake, even sold herself to Shiroyasha just to ensure your protection under Shiroyasha.”

“What?”

Aslan’s mouth dropped open in shock. Why was Shiroyasha dragged into this too?

How did these rumors even come about?

Fortunately, these rumors were only circulating within Perseus and hadn’t spread outside.

But who would believe such gossip? Third-rate novels were more believable than this.

“This does need to be set right.”

The corner of Aslan’s mouth twitched. If he didn’t handle this, who knew how bad his reputation would get?

Though he could let it slide, the issue was that Little Garden actually had tabloids and entertainment gossip like this.

They sold quite well and were cheap, with rather intriguing content.

But still, he really didn’t want to be the main character of such stories.

Wouldn’t it be better to resolve this before it blew up?

Otherwise, with the value of the Demon Star Algol, Aslan was certain that the Perseus people would use this as an excuse, spread gossip, and find ways to reclaim Algol.

Treasures stir people’s hearts, especially a Gift as powerful as that.

(I bet this is their plan? To give their disciple a strong reason to take back Algol.)

Aslan wondered if he was caught up in this for profit, emotions, or coercion.

But he never imagined his official debut on Little Garden’s stage would be to protect his own reputation?

One more thing: if gossip in Little Garden spread and many believed it, it could become reality.

There were poets in Little Garden.

Verbal attacks could genuinely kill and curse people.

Look at Lamia, Leticia’s younger sister. She was cursed into a Three-Digit level.

The entire vampire clan was cursed into monsters.

“Lauis Perseus thanks you, Mister.”

Only after hearing Aslan’s agreement did Lauis dare to stand. He bowed deeply in gratitude.

Though he knew Aslan wasn’t doing this out of affection for Aishelia or for an alliance with Perseus, but simply to nip potential trouble in the bud, Lauis still felt the gossip had gone too far.

But with his knowledge of the clan elders, they would definitely do it.

Only now, it seemed they were about to hit a steel wall. After all, Aslan’s aura was no less than Aishelia’s.

Perhaps all of Perseus combined couldn’t defeat Aslan alone.

Well, alone might be an overstatement. One hand should suffice.

Unless the ancestors who had gone to Olympus intervened.

“So, about the alliance?”

Lauis seized the momentum, asking while Aslan was still willing to listen.

(Huh? This guy’s not as bad as I thought.)

Aslan looked at Lauis with slight surprise.

After all, Perseus’s situation was dire. Their main force, Leader Aishelia, had fled.

As for the Legacy Gift Demon Star Algol, which served to maintain power and act as a deterrent when Perseus lacked a strong leader, it was already in Aslan’s hands.

In other words, Perseus’s strength had likely weakened to a certain point.

They couldn’t even maintain their current status.

Aslan vaguely recalled that Perseus wasn’t a game-hosting or game-solving community.

In fact, like Aslan’s Planeswalker and Umbrella communities, Perseus operated in production.

Perseus excelled at forging Gifts. Seventeen years ago, they had even mass-produced invisibility helmets and flying boots.

As for other weapons, that went without saying.

Perseus was also granted divine tools by the Divine Blacksmith Hephaestus.

Perhaps after digesting the Mystic Code production technology obtained from Type-Moon, it could create an incredible chemical reaction.

“We can establish a cooperative relationship, but it must be led by us.”

“Hmm… I’m not good at these things either. Whatever, go talk to Leticia about it.”

Aslan scratched his head in mild irritation. He hated messy affairs like this.

But fortunately, he could happily be a hands-off CEO.

Here, Leticia handled things for him, and the Umbrella Community was managed by Aishelia.

“Very well, Mister Aslan.”

Lauis nodded, acting like a qualified errand-runner, and went to find Leticia.

Aslan trusted Leticia completely. It could only be said that Aslan was almost “spoiled” by Leticia.

-

Title: The Worst-Case Scenario, Athena’s Calculations

“First, in the alliance between No Name and Perseus, No Name holds full authority to command Perseus to do anything.”

“Second, all Gifts produced in this collaboration using Mystic Code technology must pay half of their selling price as patent fees to No Name.”

“Lastly, Perseus must provide a sufficient number of qualified professional instructors to contribute to education in No Name.”

“Is there any issue with an alliance agreement like this?”

Leticia sat in the main chair, using a special quill to write the terms of the alliance with No Name on a scroll.

Of course, she only said it like that; the actual agreement would undoubtedly have many messy clauses. However, this agreement was already sufficient to surrender power, so Lauis didn’t care anymore.

After all, the Mystic Code technology alone was enough to make Perseus prosper.

Aslan and Leticia still lacked experience in forging. Of course, the more likely scenario was that they didn’t care and lacked the manpower to manage it.

Mystic Codes are weapons created by imbuing an item with meaning through accumulated history, legends, or rituals. These weapons can influence meaning, natural laws, space, souls, and spirits.

With this unique forging technology, they could create Gifts that were only inferior to Divine Armaments and just below simulated Divinity.

Even the production costs of mass-produced invisibility helmets and flying boots could be reduced by at least threefold.

After all, Little Garden was never short of history, legends, or accumulated concepts.

Mystic Codes could spark a small-scale revolution.

The only pity was that Aslan was the one who brought it forth. Otherwise, he could have obtained the Divinity of a Forging God with this technology.

Others might not believe it, but the method for mass-producing invisibility helmets and flying boots was something he meticulously developed.

Lauis knew his limits well. He could forge, but managing a community? Forget it.

“No issues.”

Lauis nodded, reviewing the agreement Leticia wrote. Aside from the agreement essentially handing over power, making No Name the leader of the alliance, and imposing various restrictions that practically turned Perseus into a subordinate of No Name, everything else was fairly normal.

At least Perseus retained minimal autonomy, and No Name didn’t interfere in Perseus’s internal affairs.

Lauis then signed the agreement as Perseus’s leader.

Seeing Lauis sign without hesitation, Aslan and Leticia exchanged puzzled glances.

“So, he actually signed it?”

Aslan was slightly surprised. For the sake of external reputation, if the other party had resisted even slightly, he could have signed the alliance under the Planeswalker banner.

After all, No Name currently had no flag. Using his community’s banner wouldn’t have been an issue.

Aslan and Leticia felt they had been overly demanding.

“It feels… like we’re still at a loss.”

“Should I have asked for more conditions?”

Aslan muttered softly. What a fool this guy was. He should have been even more outrageous.

Meanwhile, Leticia looked at him with slight surprise. She couldn’t understand why Lauis agreed to such exorbitant terms.

Even though Aishelia had fallen to Demon Lord status, Perseus wouldn’t stoop to this level of groveling.

Even during Arcadia’s prime, Leticia had never seen a community act so subserviently.

She vaguely felt something was off.

However, since Aslan had obtained that Authority in exchange for himself and the Demon Star Algol, he might no longer be able to avoid involvement.

After all, the transaction between Aslan and Aishelia was done privately. Though Shiroyasha was a witness, Perseus could still demand Algol back, citing the relationship between Shiroyasha and Aslan.

To uphold justice for Aishelia, if Aslan didn’t want the issue to escalate and affect Shiroyasha’s reputation, he had to act.

Spreading gossip is easy; refuting it is hard.

As for violence, that was even more troublesome. Perseus wasn’t just a subordinate of Thousand Eyes; behind them stood a formidable goddess, Athena.

However, Aslan had Shiroyasha backing him. His own strength wasn’t weak among Four-Digit levels. So, nothing major would happen.

Still, Leticia didn’t let her guard down.

Or rather, the safer it seemed, the more Leticia felt something was amiss.

“Master, I feel there’s a bigger scheme at play here.”

Leticia spoke cautiously after Lauis left.

There’s no such thing as a free lunch.

How could a Four-Digit community be so foolish as to force out the leader who brought them to their peak?

And replace her with “trash”? Though Lauis had some intelligence.

Compared to Aishelia, praised by Athena as a Guardian Knight, he was far inferior.

As for the gossip, it was even less likely to have emerged naturally.

“Of course I know.”

Aslan crossed his legs, leaning back on the sofa, speaking casually and confidently.

“But the more it’s like this, the more I want to see what they’re planning.”

“They can’t toy with us so easily.”

Aslan clenched his fist slightly, holding a few spatial fragments and lightly examining them in front of his eyes.

“Get ready, Leticia. If all goes well, No Name will soon fire its first shot.”

“We need to prepare to return to Little Garden’s stage.”

By stepping on the long-famed Perseus and declaring to all of Little Garden that Arcadia, despite losing its flag, was still the same ruler.

Aslan wanted to see if Ouroboros had the ability to attack No Name again, so he could grab the snake’s tail and let Shiroyasha finish it off.

Though he knew this might be a futile hope.

But he had to try, right? He had grown strong enough. His exceptional Four-Digit power was sufficient to face any danger in the Outer Layer.

Well, as confirmed by Scathach, Aslan’s combat strength had reached an exceptional Four-Digit level, despite being new to it.

He wouldn’t even lose to veteran exceptional Four-Digit fighters like Kasukabe Koumei.

As for Canaria, he could defeat her with one hand.

Of course, Aslan was still far from exceptional Four-Digit beings like Zeus or Martial Gods like the Twelve Heavenly Generals.

Especially in martial arts, he still needed practice. Without reaching the Divine Realm level in martial arts, how could he be worth mentioning?

Divine Realm martial arts are techniques that achieve Divinity solely through martial prowess. Even in Little Garden, only a few Martial Gods possessed them.

Among those Aslan knew, only Aishelia had reached this level in martial arts.

However, though his martial arts were slightly lacking, his Spatial Divinity was enough to make Aslan dominate Little Garden.

“I’m off. I’m going to Perseus to see what they’re planning.”

Aslan stretched his body. After a simple warm-up, he planned to infiltrate Perseus to investigate the situation and understand the storyline.

After all, alliances were an urgent need for community development, and “fools” like Perseus weren’t easy to come by.

Both emotionally and rationally, Aslan had to clarify the situation.

At the very least, he needed to find out where Lauis got the courage to sign such a power-surrendering agreement.

“Let’s hope it’s not the worst-case scenario.”

Aslan sighed, glancing in the direction Lauis had gone with a profound look.

The one toying with them wasn’t Perseus, but the Main God behind Perseus, Athena, known as the Goddess of Wisdom and Victory.

If it was indeed Athena, Aslan would need to consider asking Shiroyasha for help and prepare to flip the table.

After all, he couldn’t possibly hand over the Demon Star Algol.

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

1224 Outer Gate, Perseus Headquarters.

Lauis, upon returning to his community, went straight to the Central Temple, preparing to announce the alliance he had signed with No Name.

However, as he stepped through the temple’s gate, his body paused briefly. A look of realization appeared on his face.

Lauis immediately knelt before the indistinct female figure seated in the main chair of the Central Temple.

“Lauis, how did your negotiations with No Name’s leader go?”

A sacred, clear voice reached his ears. Lauis spoke with a fanatical expression.

“Reporting to Lord Athena, the alliance with No Name has been signed, and I have shown sufficient sincerity.”

“Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! As expected, there’s no free lunch.”

Aslan’s body froze, cursing inwardly. This was indeed the worst-case scenario.

(No, does Athena really need to toy with a small planeswalker like me?)

Aslan was somewhat confused. If the other side wanted to find him, couldn’t she just contact Shiroyasha directly?

Or at the very least, send an introductory letter or message.

(But why did Athena go through all this just to make me come to Perseus? What’s this about?)

Aslan couldn’t fathom what Athena was thinking, nor did he want to interfere with her plans.

He also didn’t want to be part of Athena’s plans. So, while still hidden in a different space, before he was discovered…

(Athena, see you later!)

Aslan prepared to step into the void without hesitation, hiding in another world before returning.

“Honored guest, since you’re here, don’t be in such a hurry to leave.”

Aslan froze instantly. He sighed in resignation, stepping out from the folded different space and facing the golden figure seated in the main chair of the Central Temple.

“I don’t know why Lord Athena went through all this to find me?”

-

Title: The Good Intentions of the Greek Pantheon, The True Origin of Arcadia

“Please. I don’t know if the tea I brewed myself will suit your taste.”

Across from Aslan sat a Greek woman wearing an olive wreath, with golden hair cascading down to her waist, exuding wisdom and possessing an extraordinarily beautiful face.

Yes, indeed, this was the renowned Athena, the goddess who used a bit of trickery to behead Algol and was called petty and ugly by Algol himself.

Faced with the tea offered by Athena, Aslan accepted it stiffly. He took a small sip and spoke cautiously.

“Good tea.”

Then Aslan fell silent, quietly waiting for Athena to initiate the conversation.

Instantly, the atmosphere became extremely awkward.

After all, meeting anyone else wouldn’t have mattered, but he had to meet Athena. In the Outer Layer of Little Garden, Aslan was confident he could defeat 99% of opponents. Even those he couldn’t defeat, he was certain he could escape from.

But Athena was one of the few he could neither defeat nor escape.

At that moment, Aslan was instantly locked by her Authority of Victory. No matter what he tried to do, there was only one outcome: failure.

Athena had already secured her victory from the start.

Aslan also understood why Scathach had said he only possessed the combat strength of an exceptional Four-Digit level.

When facing a true veteran Three-Digit Avatar, he realized the gap.

His use of Authority was, at best, just a slightly special Gift. But an exceptional Three-Digit Avatar wielded Divinity.

Only another Divinity or a Divine Artifact-level Gift could counter Divinity.

For example, the Holy Star Sword Aslan carried. After its Spirit Status was restored, it too had the power to confront Divinity.

But that might be useless against Athena. Excalibur (The Sword of Promised Victory), as its name suggests, fell under the domain of the Authority of Victory, and Athena was the Goddess of Victory.

In a confrontation between victory and victory, unless the thirteen restraints were lifted, Athena would likely prevail.

However, the Holy Star Sword, newly re-observed, lacked the tyrannical Divinity of Arthur Proto. It truly had to abide by the thirteen restraints.

Aslan calmly sipped his tea. After Athena watched him set down and pick up his teacup a dozen times, she couldn’t help but ask in surprise.

“Mister Aslan, am I that frightening?”

Of course, Aslan couldn’t admit it. He only replied nonchalantly.

“Sorry, I’m a bit allergic to beautiful women.”

Yes, allergic to dangerous women like you.

“Oh… is that so?”

Athena nodded, as if she believed Aslan’s words. Then she tried to start a conversation.

“In that case, I’d like to ask, what’s your opinion of my knight, Aishelia?”

(What can I say? I’ve met her less than twice.)

(Well… more accurately, once. I couldn’t reveal my identity during the Ouroboros incident.)

Though he thought this, Aslan still replied politely.

“In my opinion, Aishelia is a very beautiful woman. She’s strong and lovely. I just don’t know who’d be lucky enough to marry her.”

Athena suddenly chuckled. With a slightly playful expression, she said.

“Then, how about I arrange a match between you and her? You’re not married yet, are you?”

“Huh?”

Aslan was stunned. He instantly looked at her with greater wariness, even unconsciously stepping back two paces.

“Sorry, Lord Athena, I already have a fiancée.”

Aslan had never felt so grateful for Shiroyasha’s arrangement as he did now. He thanked Karyou for not holding a grudge.

In critical moments, his fiancée Karyou was truly useful, like now, instantly helping Aslan avoid trouble.

Otherwise, he really wouldn’t know what excuse to use to dodge this.

Athena made such a sweet offer; this woman definitely had her calculations.

After all, Aslan wouldn’t believe Athena would offer him benefits for no reason. He was certain there was no such thing as a free lunch. For Athena to sacrifice Perseus and Aishelia, she must have other motives.

In any case, Aslan had no intention of getting involved in Athena’s schemes. One Halloween Queen was already enough to make him nervous.

If he also had to deal with Athena, Aslan feared he’d die without knowing how.

The Goddess of Wisdom was not someone easy to deal with. She’d calculate you to death.

Athena’s reputation was built by defeating her opponents one by one.

Did anyone really think Algol could be easily killed by Perseus?

Athena never stopped meddling.

“Oh? Really? What a pity.”

Athena still wore a perfect smile. She observed Aslan from head to toe, as if appraising a potential son-in-law.

“But the Demon Star Algol is Perseus’s Legacy Gift and cannot be passed outside. To ensure Algol returns to Perseus…”

“So, would you mind having one more fiancée?”

Aslan froze. Was his charm really that great? No way, right?

What was up with this Athena?

Forget it, better to speak frankly. If he kept staying silent like this, Aslan didn’t know how long he’d have to keep it up.

Athena might just be waiting for him to start the conversation.

“Lord Athena, can you get to the point? Why beat around the bush?”

Aslan set down his teacup and looked at her seriously, meeting Athena’s smiling green eyes before unconsciously looking away.

This woman was too sweet.

A goddess of Athena’s caliber still had quite a destructive allure for him.

Seeing Aslan’s reaction, Athena flashed a bright smile. In her eyes, Aslan was rather interesting at the moment.

“Very well, I’ll be direct. I hope you’ll join the Greek Pantheon.”

“Why?”

Aslan looked at her curiously. He was a bit puzzled why Athena suddenly proposed he join the Greek Pantheon.

“I believe Lord Athena must know I’m a follower god of Shiroyasha, right?”

Even if Athena wanted to recruit someone, she wouldn’t do it so openly. Or could this not be called open?

Using Perseus to lure him wasn’t exactly honest.

“Of course, I know. But if you don’t want No Name to suffer the same fate as Arcadia, you’d better join the Greek Pantheon.”

Athena stared into his eyes, applying pressure on Aslan.

Ouroboros wouldn’t let Arcadia, which they had just “killed,” show signs of revival in just a few days.

At that time, Aslan wouldn’t be protected by just Shiroyasha.

Unless the one backing Aslan was the White Night Demon Lord, not Shiroyasha.

“Wait, why can you say the name No Name (Arcadia)?”

Aslan caught a crucial point in Athena’s words.

Athena could actually say the name Arcadia? This shocked Aslan.

As for suffering the same fate as Arcadia? Aslan actually hoped they’d make a move. It would make the stagnant Little Garden boil.

On the contrary, Athena being able to say Arcadia’s name piqued Aslan’s interest more.

Athena sighed, showing a slightly nostalgic expression.

“Because the flag and name of Arcadia were originally given by Greece to Canaria. Arcadia is the birthplace of Hermes.”

“During the Dystopia War, Arcadia wanted to fight in the western district. Naturally, they needed a base. Hermes handed over the Authority of his birthplace to Canaria. Canaria then established the community and used the name Arcadia.”

“But after Arcadia defeated Dystopia and grew, Canaria returned the Authority of Arcadia to us.”

“So, we are one of the few who can say the name Arcadia.”

This was also one of Canaria’s backup plans at the time, to prevent the flag from being taken and never recovered.

She also entrusted the final spark and legacy to the Greek Pantheon, hoping it would be useful in critical moments.

In fact, before Arcadia grew, Greece was its first investor.

The teacher who taught Canaria the art of poetry, Orpheus, came from the Greek Pantheon.

Even afterward, Greece provided no small amount of funding to Arcadia.

This was why Canaria chose to return the Authority of Arcadia (the name of the land) to Greece, where it has been hidden by the Greek Pantheon until now.

Aslan nodded slightly. In the mythological knowledge he studied, there were indeed rumors that Hermes was born in Arcadia.

Hermes was born on Mount Cyllene, Greece, located in the Arcadia region.

Thinking of this, Aslan slightly lowered his guard. But he also found it amusing.

The identity he casually crafted with Shiroyasha—as a hero cultivated by Arcadia in the outer world and a disciple of Baron Croix—turned out to be useful now?

He didn’t attract Ouroboros but instead drew the Greek Pantheon.

Aslan really hadn’t expected this. The effect was almost too good.

Oh well. With his Boundary Spirit Status, Spatial Divinity, and having overcome one Last Trial of Mankind while saving the world, he could truly be considered one of the heroes cultivated by Arcadia in the outer world to face Absolute Evil.

Besides Arcadia, no other place suited him.

But unfortunately, just as he prepared to come to Little Garden, Arcadia was gone.

If that’s the case, he’d continue acting with this identity.

Aslan steadied his emotions. With a cold and frenzied look, he said.

“Thank you for Lord Athena’s good intentions. But one of my goals in leading Arcadia is to draw their attention.”

At this moment, he only wanted to find the culprit and take revenge!

-

Title: Athena Feels She’s Beginning to Understand Everything

Seeing him like this, Athena didn’t know what to say. Should she say that Aslan was blinded by hatred?

Or was he too impulsive?

It should be noted that even Canaria couldn’t send out any information when attacked by Ouroboros.

So, what gave Aslan the confidence to claim he could definitely expose their information? And lure out that “snake”?

To let the gods of Little Garden eradicate the venomous snake lurking in the shadows?

“You don’t have Canaria’s intelligence or Kasukabe Koumei’s strength. How could you possibly draw them out?”

Athena looked at him with a hint of compassion.

Such a fine young man, yet forced into this state by Ouroboros.

In Little Garden, besides Shiroyasha, if there was anyone who most wanted to improve Little Garden, it was the Greek Pantheon.

After all, the original founders of Little Garden were Zoroastrianism and Greece.

Unlike Zoroastrianism’s Good and Evil Gods, who loved humanity, the Greek Pantheon, like Shiroyasha, loved Little Garden more.

Of course, this still needed specific analysis, but the Greek Pantheon had always stood on Little Garden’s side.

So, when Arcadia faced trouble, the Greek Pantheon was the most furious. Arcadia had grown with their own investment.

But who could have expected Arcadia to collapse overnight? Not even a single piece of news was sent out.

Heracles was still investigating what exactly happened that night.

Aslan trembled slightly under her gaze. He didn’t know if it was just his imagination, but he felt Athena was starting to resemble his aunt.

However, when he must not give up, Aslan certainly wouldn’t.

This was the moment to show his strength and secure investment. Aslan didn’t believe he could take on all of Ouroboros or the entirety of Little Garden alone.

Even if there was a Last Trial of Mankind, it wouldn’t work. It would be disastrous if he were sealed by a Paradox Game from a Main God willing to sacrifice for “truth” before he could grow.

Though the chances were slim, they weren’t zero.

Flipping the table was always the last move. It was far more convenient to use the chessboard to strike someone.

The chessboard was always on the table. If the table was flipped, no one could play chess. But after using the chessboard to hit someone, he could still use the bloodied chessboard.

“Who says I don’t have a plan?”

Aslan showed a confident expression and looked at her.

“I dare to take on this responsibility because, of course, I have backing. On the other hand, does Lord Athena know one thing?”

“The Candidate of Origin from the divine side, the savior Kalki, has been born.”

As he spoke, Aslan couldn’t help but show a trace of pity for the Greek Pantheon. Though they were one of Little Garden’s founders, they were now doomed to perish with the old Little Garden.

Based on the information Aslan knew and the conclusions drawn from the original story, it seemed the Sun King Group had no intention of including Greece in their plans.

But on second thought, the only Two-Digit level individual in the Greek Pantheon, or the one who might display Two-Digit combat strength—Zeus—was bound to human history.

If the existing human history were destroyed, Zeus naturally wouldn’t escape.

Thus, in the plan to destroy the current Little Garden and human history to build a new Little Garden and new human history, Greece couldn’t be involved at all.

All the Greek Pantheon’s foundations were in this Little Garden.

Moreover, the current Greek Pantheon had no Two-Digit level leader. Zeus could only be considered half, as the Declaration of the Great God couldn’t be used at will.

Otherwise, Zeus wouldn’t constantly hide in the Outer Layer with exceptional Four-Digit strength.

If there were a Two-Digit leader, why would the Greek Pantheon shamelessly hide in the Outer Layer with exceptional Four-Digit strength?

Greece controlled much of the faith in the Outer Layer. That might also be a way to heal Zeus.

So, the Greek Pantheon’s current situation was far from optimistic.

“What do you mean?”

Athena’s eyes instantly changed. She transformed from a friendly older sister into a battle-hardened War Goddess.

Almost instinctively, Athena released her Divine Might, drawing her weapon. The tip of her spear pointed at Aslan’s forehead as she questioned him.

Aslan gave a faint smile. Now the situation had reversed!

He gently pushed aside her spear tip. That thing was still a bit too dangerous. If Athena’s hand slipped, he could die right there.

Yes, the Spear of the Goddess of Victory. The spear Athena had used to achieve countless battle feats and slay innumerable enemies.

That spear had now been upgraded by Athena to the level of a Divinity Tool.

Though dangerous, Aslan remained calm and confident because the situation had turned.

“What does it mean? It means exactly what you think, Lord Athena.”

Aslan shrugged casually.

As the Goddess of Wisdom, Athena couldn’t possibly be unaware of the true significance of Kalki’s birth.

It meant Little Garden was shifting from a period of preservation to one of destruction.

But that wasn’t what concerned Athena. Instead, such a significant and monumental matter, and she, as the Goddess of Wisdom, hadn’t received any news.

Yet, someone who had only recently arrived in Little Garden had managed to find out.

(Hah, Canaria, you truly deserve recognition. You almost fooled me.)

Athena now began to doubt Aslan’s true identity. This man was not some newcomer to Little Garden, a hero secretly cultivated by Arcadia.

Instead, he was a “secret agent” Canaria had arranged long ago to investigate Ouroboros.

Or perhaps, because Aslan had uncovered something, something they shouldn’t have known, Arcadia was destroyed.

At this moment, Athena felt she was beginning to understand everything.

In terms of intelligence, Athena was willing to admit she was slightly inferior to Canaria. She hadn’t even found clues as to why Kasukabe Koumei suddenly became a god and lost her human identity back then.

In contrast, Canaria had followed the clues and uncovered critical information like this.

But Kalki’s birth alone wasn’t enough to make the snake, which had hidden for so long, destroy Arcadia. What exactly had Canaria suspected?

Athena began to think. She gathered all the clues she knew and combined them with Little Garden’s current situation.

Most importantly, the ten Avatars of Vishnu.

After all, there was a long-standing joke in Little Garden: the reason Vishnu was so “poor” now was because he was pretending. In fact, he had long merged with Matsya, Kurma, Krishna, and Shakyamuni.

That was only to become Vishnu, The God of Preservation, a One-Digit level someday.

But that was just a joke. If Vishnu were truly that powerful, why hadn’t he elevated his status a bit?

But for the Spirit Status of The God of Preservation, would those four Two-Digit levels destroy Canaria? Or destroy Arcadia?

Wasn’t that something everyone knew? The four were competing for the Spirit Status of The God of Preservation.

Wait? Ark Matsya? Christianity’s Ark of Salvation?

Christianity wasn’t very successful in Little Garden’s Upper Layer due to the omnipotence paradox limitation. Moreover, Christianity had the most followers and the greatest influence.

Additionally, with Jesus as the only surviving Two-Digit level, Christianity wasn’t very successful.

So, could Christianity be planning to build a new Little Garden?

If so, Matsya, already part of Little Garden’s mechanism, was indeed qualified to become the new Little Garden’s core.

Most importantly, Christianity had sufficient reason to build a new Little Garden.

Because the old Little Garden didn’t recognize monotheism and had the omnipotence paradox limitation.

It was normal for them to have supporters, as Three-Digit level beings were also restricted. The Kings of Gods at the Three-Digit level didn’t want to be confined to the Outer Layer and act through their Deputies.

But coincidentally, the Greek Pantheon didn’t have these two issues.

The Greek Pantheon’s worldview wasn’t monotheistic. Even due to theogony, they didn’t need to worry about a lack of promotion paths.

Most Greek Main Gods were stuck at the Four-Digit level and weren’t in the Outer Layer.

The Greek Pantheon was happily left behind.

Sink with your old Little Garden, we’ll go to the new Little Garden!

Her thoughts raced. Athena gradually understood Little Garden’s hidden situation. But understanding was good, as only then could she intervene.

What she feared most was knowing nothing and being deceived.

“Very well, I understand.”

Athena opened her eyes. She showed Aslan a bright smile. She now knew the message Canaria wanted to convey to her.

At the same time, she realized how dangerous Aslan’s situation was. Though changing his identity reduced some of the danger, it didn’t mean certain gods and Buddhas had dropped their guard against Canaria. After Arcadia’s destruction, Aslan, as its leader, would naturally draw attention.

He wouldn’t escape covert attacks from various sides.

In her calculations, Canaria might have also asked her to protect this boy, Aslan, right?

Or perhaps this was the true purpose of Canaria wanting Aslan to deliver this message to her.

Stirring the waters and disrupting Little Garden’s current situation was secondary. The most important thing was protecting Aslan.

So he wouldn’t be blinded by hatred.

(Canaria, you truly deserve recognition. You ruthlessly sacrifice others, but in the end, you soften.)

Seeing Athena’s eyes, which seemed to understand everything and carried a hint of elder-like concern, Aslan was a bit confused. He had survived in Little Garden so far thanks to information asymmetry.

But now, he couldn’t guess what Athena had understood?

He hadn’t revealed anything, had he?

Aslan could only smile and nod.