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The female sovereign atop wore a bronze helmet crown, her clearly defined long hair cascading like a waterfall behind her head, a wooden owl perched upon her shoulder, her upper body draped in snake-patterned armor, her right hand grasping the Spear of Victory, her left donned in a sheepskin Divine Shield [Aegis] adorned with golden tassels, her tall and straight figure radiating chill authority and an inviolable sense of sanctity.

Minosians worshipped the Goddess. Although male deities were also mentioned, descriptions of goddesses far exceeded those of their male counterparts in the Minosian religion; for example, the mother goddess who presided over fertility, a female animal sovereign, a female protector of cities, families, harvests, and the Netherworld, and so on. Some believed these to be different manifestations of the same Goddess, who commonly possessed animal representations like snakes and birds.

And all these traces reflected upon Athena, who bore the titles of the snake and owl goddess upon Olympus.

As the crowd bowed in prayer, the blasphemer mingling among them subtly raised his head, eyes glazing over the humble and bowed believers, who willingly offered all their wealth to the deity, and gazed at the female sovereign above disdainfully scrutinizing her divine figure.

All around was silent; the statue still stood, not responding to the prayers, not comforting the distressed, not punishing the irreverent, not sanctioning the foul.

Luo En tightened his grip on Medusa\'s slightly trembling little hand and turned to blink at the Medusa crouched beside him, too scared to raise her head.

See, I told you it was nothing to worry about, right?

Perhaps affected by the casual mood beside her, Medusa mustered the courage to gradually lift her little head, her purple-red pupils stealthily glancing at the face beneath the helmet.

Because the sculpture was infused with faith and blessed with divinity, at a distance, the face appeared blurred, as if shrouded in a thin mist, preventing mortals from peering at the divine visage.

But a statue was, after all, a statue—stationary upon the deity throne, posing not even as much a threat as a snarling stray dog by the roadside.

The inexplicable fears pressing on little Medusa\'s heart dissolved like smoke, clearing much of the gloom that had long accumulated on her face and revealing her natural demeanor.

"This place is so boring. When will it end? I\'m so hungry now,"

the Medusa whispered, rubbing her belly and tugging at Luo En\'s hand.

"Just a moment..."

Luo En glared at the true "hungry beast" beside him and, upon hearing the internal alert signifying the end of his mission, he completed the orderly process of worship and donation, exiting through the back door of the temple with Medusa.

As he stepped over the threshold, Luo En paused briefly, looking back at the throngs of poor-faced, starch-washed believers, who still offered everything to the deities, yearning for a better life, and at the extremely luxurious and costly statue capable of sustaining dozens of families for years, he shook his head slightly, murmuring soundlessly.

Do you really love humans that much, Athena?

The statue would not respond.

But in Luo En\'s memory, there lay a related future for the Minosians.

The eruption on Thera Volcano Island, the great tsunami from Occhanos, the relentless acid rains, and the lingering dust clouds—all symbols of "divine wrath" that would toll the bell for their civilization\'s demise.

The Mycenaeans from mainland Greece would ultimately invade and rule over the entirety of Crete Island, burying the worship of the Goddess and the future of the Minosians together...

It seems you might not truly be worthy of this adoration after all.

—My dear... sister?

Outside the temple, Luo En sneered and shook his head, slipping his outstretched hand back into his pocket and leading the visibly impatient big "hungry one" down towards the bustling market.

Under the shade of a roadside tree, Medusa looked shocked.

"What? We have no money for food?"

"Of course. Honoring the deity has its costs. I\'ve already donated our lunch money to the great female sovereign."

Luo En spread his hands helplessly, a hidden mischievous smile lurking behind his innocent eyes.

"..."

Upon such dreadful news, Medusa\'s face, which had been full of anticipation, suddenly fell.

Then, grinding her little teeth, she turned away angrily.

"Where are you going?"

"To get it back!"

"..."

Seeing the newly emboldened Medusa, who had just overcome her fear of the deities, become overzealous and so fierce, Luo En gasped, breaking into a cold sweat, and quickly caught hold of the Medusa intending to rob the treasury.

"There\'s no need, no need. Take this to hold you over. We\'ll just advance some lunch money from the reserve fund. I\'ll go buy it right now!"

He then pulled out a few pieces of fragrant, delicate pastries from his pocket and handed them to Medusa.

"Try these, they\'re really good."

Medusa sniffed delicately and tentatively took a small bite. Soon, the sweet and refreshing taste was bursting on her taste buds, bringing a surge of satisfaction and pleasure. The young Medusa\'s eyes sparkled with delight as she couldn\'t stop praising the deliciousness.

"Yummy!"

"Of course, it is."

Luo En nodded unsurprised, casually took a piece to taste, and with a pleasant turn of his lips, he began to speak leisurely.

"This is a top-quality offering to the gods, the taste is definitely beyond question."

Medusa, who had been wolfing down the treat, paused abruptly and looked down at the distinctive snake and olive leaf patterns on the pastry she held, her small frame shivering suddenly.

"You stole the Goddess\'s offerings?"

"What do you mean, stole? I paid for them, fair and square, no deception involved," Luo En said righteously, as he popped another piece of the pastry into his mouth.

Medusa instinctively hugged the remaining pastries closer to her chest, then asked somewhat puzzledly.

"But isn\'t our money supposed to be an offering to the deities?"

"Quite right, we made our offering to the deities, and they have accepted it, which means they are willing to alleviate our troubles and provide us protection," Luo En replied, nodding with an even brighter smile on his face.

"So, the question arises, what was our trouble at the time?"

"Hungry?"

After thinking it over, Medusa murmured, touching her tummy.

Luo En clapped his hands and explained with a cheerful grin.

"Exactly, you see, we offer what we have to the deities, showing our piety and seeking solutions to our troubles, and in return, the deities reward us with their kindness and aid. It\'s a fair trade, no deception involved—doesn\'t that sound right?"

"..."

Faced with this seemingly logical argument, Medusa was somewhat confused, taking quite a while before she could appreciate the rationale and then spoke with a snort.

"Did you ask the Goddess?"

"Of course!"

"And what did she say?"

"She tacitly agreed."

Luo En spoke solemnly, his face serene, while inwardly he muttered to himself.

Today, he had not only completed a Weekly Chapter but also took the chance to clear the Daily Chapter; the money was well spent, with the bonus of tasting the palace\'s fine cuisine, a total win!

At that moment, a trace of gleeful smile emerged inevitably on that face, subtly revealing one\'s true character.

Even though he was ostensibly at the mercy of that dice, every choice was made by him personally.

Luo En\'s soul, originating from the future, inherently lacked real awe for the so-called deities and fate.

As his true nature gradually came to light, he even began to enjoy the thrill of fooling the deities. He would blame the dice on one hand while actively scheming and taking the chance to drag Medusa onto his bandwagon.

After all, this future Medusa was destined to be slain by a demigod hero, with even her head becoming a decorative piece on Goddess Athena\'s shield.

This move could be considered as collecting interest from Athena in advance.

However, unlike Luo En who found joy in such antics, the innate fear of deities made Medusa\'s heart waver, prompting her to remind him in a quiet huff.

"It\'s best if the Lady Goddess indeed thinks that way."

"Don\'t worry, the great sovereign is a compassionate and generous deity; how could she bear to see her devout followers starve?" Luo En said, against his better judgment, as he complimented the wooden sculpture in the temple with self-righteous fervor.

"Blasphemy against the deities is hardly devout for any believer. With an insincere heart, what right do they have to expect the care of the deities?"

As the two conversed in hushed tones, a faint murmuring came from the front of a nearby stall. A girl with silver hair down to her shoulders and dressed in a finely embroidered white silk gown placed down the item she was holding and turned to look at Luo En and Medusa under the shade of the trees. Her deep violet eyes were as profound as the night and bright as stars.

Behind her, a golden-haired, blue-eyed little girl wearing a flower crown was tugging at the hem of the embroidered dress, peeping out with a mischievous grin and sizing up the pair across from her.