Chapter 118: God of a Myriad Armies
"I will participate in the Trojan War as a third party. If I can win this battle, then I win the bet."
"Then."
"You will all acknowledge what I said just now."
The Sage's words fell into the ears of the four goddesses present, and for a moment, all of them froze.
Aphrodite scoffed, her gaze sharp with contempt.
"A mere human. You think that because your power surpasses ours, you can meddle in the games of the Greek gods?"
"Otherwise?" Rowe lifted his fist slightly, as if the answer were obvious.
Aphrodite fell silent.
Queen Hera's brows knitted even deeper.
"Your Excellency, Sage, are you joking?"
Hestia continued watching, looking like she had stumbled into a theater performance she had no intention of leaving early.
Athena, however, only tightened her grip on Rowe's hand, her stance unshakable.
"I am not joking," Rowe said.
From the reactions of the Greek gods alone, Rowe already knew his information was correct. The Trojan War had indeed happened after all.
Even if the golden apple had been replaced by the Key of Heaven he left behind.
Because the Trojan War, at its core, was a destined war.
It was born from Troy's strategic position along Greek trade routes, its fertile land, its countless treasures, and its extreme strength, which drew both greed and fear from countless surrounding city states.
And if one dug deeper, the foundation was the confrontation between two divine factions.
Athena, Queen Hera, and Hephaestus supported the allied Greek city states.
Apollo, Aphrodite, and Ares supported Troy.
Ares had already gone to the future, yet he still left a shadow in the present to fulfill his mythological duties.
Two sides opposed.
Half of the Twelve Olympians were involved.
Rowe had learned of these matters while he was in the Underworld. After all, Hades, the King of the Greek Underworld, visited the Uruk Underworld frequently and always brought news.
The master of the dead was extremely sensitive to war. Once war erupted in the human world, the number of souls in the Underworld would inevitably surge.
At first, Rowe had only thought it was the Trojan War triggered by the golden apple, and had not connected it to himself.
But it was precisely then that he decided to participate in this war that involved the Greek gods.
Returning to reality from the Underworld, Rowe's goal was different from before.
He had promised to help Gilgamesh resolve the obstacles between heaven and earth, allowing Uruk to be transformed completely and moved into Greece.
The Trojan War was the best entry point. The best opportunity for Uruk to reappear in the present world.
At this moment, Olympus itself seemed to sense it.
Divine light intertwined and shone. One after another, figures appeared within the temple.
The four goddesses present went without saying.
Apollo emerged from a sunlit corona descending from the sky.
Hephaestus rose from erupting flames.
Demeter appeared in a bloom of earth toned radiance.
Artemis arrived, moonlight heavy and cold.
One figure after another appeared, representing the arrival of the Olympians, save for the three neutral Divine Kings.
Rowe's identity was special. Even if he were merely human, as a genuine hero who saved Greece, he had long since drawn the attention of Olympus.
Only Zeus remained indifferent. Zeus, powerful enough to suppress Cronus at his peak, did not care.
But the others watched Rowe closely.
And at this moment, his words naturally drew them together.
They gathered solemnly within Olympus, and Apollo, standing at the forefront, was about to speak seriously.
Then a voice, soft and dazed, slipped in like a curse.
"Rowe, my Rowe. Rowe."
The Greek gods paused in unison.
Apollo's scalp tingled. He turned his head sharply toward the sound.
Behind him, Artemis stood in a heavy gown woven from moonlight. She stared at the Sage like she had forgotten how to blink. If not for Demeter, who looked like a golden haired girl but carried the calm gravity of an elder, holding her back, Artemis would have already rushed forward.
"…No, it is not me," Apollo said through gritted teeth.
He rubbed his forehead.
"Still, those who are not participating in the Trojan War, leave."
One after another, what kind of Greek gods are these?
Apollo almost wanted to curse like his father.
No. I am the eldest son of the King of the Gods, the master of light and art. I must be elegant. Elegant.
Apollo regained his smile.
After his words, the gods dispersed, leaving only the six Olympians participating in the Trojan War, and one human.
Demeter forcibly pulled Artemis away.
Artemis allowed herself to be dragged, yet she looked as if she were wary of someone. She never truly rushed to embrace Rowe.
"Now, it is time to discuss serious matters," Queen Hera spoke first.
"Your Excellency, Rowe, I think you are indeed joking."
"A gamble among the Greek gods. It is impossible for a human to participate, even if we acknowledge you as an existence of equal brilliance to the Greek gods."
Hera's voice carried the weight of her throne. Having stood at Zeus's side for so long, she naturally possessed the demeanor of a queen.
Apollo followed calmly.
"Indeed. If you have any requests, we will try our best to fulfill them, but no matter what, there is always a distinction between gods and humans."
"With your strength, you should not directly participate in such a conflict. Stepping into the human world as a pawn would be beneath you."
He spoke with a graceful smile, as if offering kindness rather than refusing.
Aphrodite flicked her crimson hair, her charming face filled with confidence and pride.
"Though you are merely a human, your wisdom and power are unique. You should properly become my treasured collection."
Hephaestus, weathered and silent, said nothing. As Aphrodite's nominal husband, he only looked troubled, but his attitude was clear.
Hestia did not participate in the conflict and did not care about the title of most beautiful. Somehow, she produced a glass of wine and drank it in a single swaying gulp.
The grape flavor is rich.
Hic.
As for Ares's shadow left by Mars, it went without saying.
Apart from Athena, who absolutely supported Rowe, the attitudes of the others were clear.
Rowe was not a god, therefore he could not participate in the wager as a god.
He was not a king, nor a lord. He had no forces of his own.
In the eyes of Olympus, he was still just a human.
Yet his strength surpassed ordinary gods, even Olympians. He could not enter the battlefield of Troy as an ordinary hero. That would shatter the balance.
Rowe smiled.
"Then what if I am also a god?"
"And what if I also have my own army?"
The Greek gods glanced at one another.
Only Athena revealed a knowing smile.
In that instant, magnificent streams of light poured down from the sky.
High above, a colossal machina god phantom condensed in the heavens.
Rowe cast his gaze toward the human world.
The Aegean Sea surged.
Outside the city of Troy, banners fluttered above the allied Greek camp, countless city states gathered, their siege stretching like a dark scar across the plains.
Someone looked up.
Devout priests bowed in reverence.
Soldiers turned their heads beyond the ranks, toward an open space where sunlight fell.
Mist boiled. Light and shadow intertwined, as if a door had opened.
Figures stepped out from within.
They wore armor.
They were tall, faces solemn.
Long spears and shields gleamed in their hands.
Dense magical energy clung to their bodies like a second skin.
Their steps were orderly and precise, stern and imposing.
This was an army.
An army from the Underworld.
From Uruk.
An army of a hundred battles.
Outside Troy, the Greek allied forces had struggled for a long time, unable to break the mighty city. Their commanding general was troubled by it.
At this moment, the God of All Machines appeared in the high heavens, the form of a sage returned after death.
He was both man and god.
Under the gaze of the Olympians, he manifested a grandeur that surpassed the sky.
With a wave of his hand, thousands of soldiers and horses poured out from the void, weapons rising like a forest.
They shouted, "Victory!"
They shouted the name of the God of All Machines.
He is the God of All Machines, and also the Lord of All Armies.
The Trojan War.
Rowe lifted his gaze back to Olympus, looking at Apollo and then at the others.
"Now, do I qualify?"
Apollo lowered his eyes, and after a heavy pause, nodded.
"Yes."
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