Amid the awkward atmosphere, Samael patiently talked Brynhildr through it, offering earnest comfort and reassurance until he finally managed to calm her down.
After that, the Ancient Serpent tossed the tasks of coordinating with the Amazon warriors and keeping the Norse Berserkers and Druids in line over to Brynhildr. Only then did things finally settle back down.
That just went to show some people were better off staying busy. Once they had too much free time and lost their sense of direction, they started spiraling into nonsense.
Samael looked toward the corridor outside, watching the Valkyrie walk farther and farther away, her spirit and fighting will restored, and quietly grumbled to himself. But when he turned back and saw the mountain of documents on his desk, piled even higher than he was, along with all the urgent reports still waiting to be dealt with, the Ancient Serpent nearly cracked.
Busy is one thing, but can I at least get a fighting chance here?!
Was this supposed to make him follow in Gilgamesh's footsteps and eventually drop dead from overwork at his desk?
Damn it. A whole pack of deadweight raised by democratic politics! Other than talking big, infighting, and hoarding all the benefits for themselves, not a single one of them could be relied on!
His Majesty the Holy King cursed the already rotten administrative team in the council chamber, close to tears. But with all power now gathered into his own hands, he could only grit his teeth and bury himself in work.
By noon, after finally handling about half the urgent matters, Samael's head was swimming and his stomach was growling.
Just then, the smell of food drifted in from the doorway.
Lamb chops... date porridge... and flatbread...
Samael lifted his head, closed his eyes, and took in the scent, immediately identifying it. Then he opened his eyes and smiled at the purple-haired young goddess, who had knocked and entered the hall carrying a food box.
The two old friends exchanged a smile. One cleared off the desk, the other opened the food box and laid out the meal. Then they sat facing each other and shared lunch together, an unspoken understanding naturally settling between them.
"You've met the people I brought from the north?"
"Mhm. The Berserkers and Druids on the ships are no weaker than the Greek elites from the war against the giants. And the fact that they could make use of the remains of the Velber vanguard and create a new force like Valkyria shows that Odin, the chief god of the Norse, isn't simple either."
"The smarter someone is, the harder they are to fool. The chips I squeezed out of him are basically all tied up at Icarus Harbor. If the situation in Greece starts harming Norse interests, that guy might turn around and sell me out without hesitation."
Samael took a bite of flatbread and complained irritably.
After all, during the earlier god-slaying war in Rome, there had been secret Magus scrolls made from leaves of the World Tree.
Odin colluding with the Persians was unlikely, but he definitely had no interest in tearing things open with the two great pantheons of Persia and Egypt for the sake of the Pan-Hellenic Alliance.
And as for the reputation of the Aesir, well, that was about what you'd expect.
In their push to become the rulers of the Nine Realms of the north, they had done their share of cheating, scheming, lying, and breaking promises.
Compared to them, the Greek gods were practically decent in terms of moral character.
"So what are you planning to do about the north?"
Ana's fingers resting on the table curled into a small fist. There was a glimmer of anticipation in her eyes, and her tone was certain.
With Samael's personality, anything he was willing to state so openly was usually no longer a problem.
Sure enough, at her question, the Ancient Serpent's lips curved into a wicked smile. His slit pupils narrowed slightly, and he began to recite:
"Black smoke will cover the sun, and the sky will suddenly lose its light. The earth will split apart, and fortresses will sink into the sea.
Bright stars will fall from the heavens, and gushing filth will throw all things into chaos.
Brothers will turn against brothers, caring nothing for blood or kinship, grinding their teeth and bent on killing one another.
Axes and swords will rage unchecked, and blades will split shields clean in two.
Oaths will be torn apart by betrayal. Adultery and fornication will become commonplace in the world. Hidden corruption and foulness will fill mankind with depravity.
A pillar of flame will shoot into the heavens. The rainbow bridge will melt and break. The ancient tree will burn in wicked fire. The gods will fall from the sky. The holy halls of the divine spirits will lie in ruin, strewn everywhere with slaughtered corpses, and crimson blood will flow in streams...
After ten days of catastrophe, the gods will walk into the final twilight of the end!"
"What is that?"
Listening to that vision of the apocalypse spoken aloud by Samael, Ana felt a strange sense of familiarity mixed with unfamiliarity rise in her, and she could not help asking in confusion.
"[Ten Days of Catastrophe, Ragnarok.] Wasn't that the prophecy you brought back when you descended earlier? I just 'slightly' polished it up and had Scáthach pass it along to Odin."
"Uh... slightly?"
"That's not the point!"
"But that should have been a prophecy connected to Greece..."
"Even if it starts in Greece, that doesn't mean it can't spread to other lands. Besides, I was only kindly warning an ally out of the goodness of my heart, right?"
Samael defended himself with a cheerful smile, utterly unconcerned at being called out.
The most brilliant deceivers never lie. They just present the facts selectively.
In any case, everything he said was true. Even the embellished phrases came from the future Norse mythic epic Edda, specifically from the prophecies about Ragnarok.
And besides, that old rascal Odin had spent his whole life preparing for Ragnarok. If he learned that this prophecy was going to erupt again in another form, he would definitely step in to help for fear it might spread to the north.
As long as he seized on that point and tied the Norse onto Greece's war chariot, the matter was basically secure. The only question left was when.
Hearing Samael's explanation, Ana stared deeply at the smug look on his face, then let out a small huff, her cheeks puffing out slightly.
"Samael, you're awful. Is that how you tricked all those Norse goddesses into gathering around you too?"
"Ahem, let's talk business, let's talk business. The fleet should be ready today, and I'll most likely depart with the army first thing tomorrow morning. But if I do that, Athens will inevitably be left without a strong hand to suppress things, and that makes me worried about unrest inside the city."
With a dry laugh, the Ancient Serpent hurriedly changed the subject, his expression growing serious as he brought up his concerns.
Even though she knew perfectly well that he was dodging responsibility, Little Ana, whose mentality had also become somewhat younger due to descending in this form, was easy enough to distract. She immediately shifted the focus of the conversation to the matter of who should take over the administration of Athens.
"I don't remember anyone especially suitable."
Ana's brows knit together slightly as she spoke with some helplessness.
"It all happened too suddenly, and on top of that, the influence of the Inner Sea of the Planet on Greece is stronger than it is anywhere else. Because of that, not only have the divine spirits of the Areopagus sunk into the Inner Sea of the Planet, even the first two generations of heroes living in seclusion in Elysium have also sunk into it, making them impossible to contact. The only ones currently available are the third generation of heroes we left outside."
"The ones who took part in the Trojan War?"
"Mhm..."
"Well, that does sound troublesome. Greece, famous for its heroes, has actually reached the point where there's no one left to use. That really is a headache."
Samael let out a sigh, and his brow furrowed.
If not for how wide his circle of friends was and how many connections he had, pulling in forces from Rome, the Amazons, the Celts, the Norse, and other regions to prop things up, Greece's situation would have been even worse.
"Don't worry. The Inner Sea of the Planet will open in ten days. When that happens, our strength will be abundant as well."
Ana rose onto her toes and lightly patted the Ancient Serpent on the shoulder in comfort.
Samael came back to himself and nodded with a faint smile. But the moment he turned his head away, the worry in his eyes did not lessen in the slightest.
Once the Inner Sea of the Planet was unsealed, it would not just release the Greek gods and Heroic Spirits. All kinds of monsters and fiends from every region would likely break free as well.
India, Egypt, and other lands had already been stirring and had even sent representatives.
Once all restrictions were gone, who knew what kind of chaos would follow.
And if gods from every pantheon converged on Greece, the center of everything, then things would get truly ugly.
"I can't get in touch with Athena or the others. I'd like to let that golden workhorse fill in for me, but there's no chance of that either. So tell me, who do you think is best suited to remain in Athens?"
"Helen and Gorgo."
After thinking for a moment, Ana answered without hesitation.
"They're Spartans..."
Samael had not expected those two choices at all.
"That's exactly why they'll do everything they can, no matter the cost, to help you reinforce Thermopylae!"
Unlike Athena's cool rationality and her wisdom in reading the hearts of others, Ana leaned more toward emotion and instinct. Her worried eyes kept drifting toward Samael from time to time before quickly sliding away again, and she added in an apparently casual tone:
"Sparta is the second greatest city after Athens, and it has more than enough supporters to suppress the resentful remnants of the Athenian divine-blood factions left behind after the purge of the council chamber. On top of that, before the army sets out, I can use the authority of the Three Goddesses during the great sacrifice to grant them the right to govern the Areopagus and act in your place in state affairs, making their authority official in name as well.
"And since they no longer have any entanglement of interests with the Athenian nobles, and will also hold absolute power, if anyone dares make trouble then, they won't need to show any mercy."
"Them handling state affairs? Are they really reliable?"
"Don't underestimate women! Half of Sparta's stability today is Gorgo's doing, and Helen personally took part in the Trojan War and has experience coordinating and managing temple personnel."
I see.
Samael suddenly remembered how Helen had sorted and organized all the scattered documents on the floor last night with perfect accuracy. Clearly, she had real experience in this area.
Then Ana's gaze flickered slightly.
"Besides, all we need is a stable rear line. There's no need to indulge the Athenians too much. They've gone too far. They simply don't deserve to inherit the glory you gave them."
Ana bit her lip lightly and looked up at Samael, clearly indignant on his behalf.
Don't deserve it, huh? That does seem true...
Samael rubbed his chin, gazed thoughtfully out the window into the distance, and gave a faint, amused shake of the head.