But you knew this was merely the calm before the storm.
When one person found happiness, there was a high chance that someone else would lose theirs because of them.
As Pellasgi grew increasingly powerful,
the Mother Goddess's faith spread to Athens, Sparta, Thebes, Macedon—the four strongest city-states in Greece.
Though you had strictly forbidden your followers from spreading the faith beyond your borders
and prohibited any external proselytizing,
Pellasgi, which needed to trade with the outside world, could not stop foreign visitors from witnessing this dreamlike paradise.
As long as they saw this nation that resembled an ideal land,
anyone would feel compelled to worship you, and anyone would be unable to resist kneeling before the great Mother Goddess.
There was no way to prevent outsiders from developing faith.
The Greek gods noticed the decline in faith power. They could no longer turn a blind eye to Pellasgi.
You were an anomaly within Greece.
Although the Earth Mother Goddess had been the original deity of this land, Greece was now ruled by machine gods.
"Report! The Four Great City-States—Athens, Sparta, Thebes, and Macedon—have simultaneously declared the severance of diplomatic and trade relations with our nation!"
"Recently, warships from different countries have been sighted in waters over a hundred li from our shores. To guard against those scoundrels harboring ill intent toward our nation, I beseech Your Majesty to deploy more warship-class Hydras to stand watch..."
"My Emperor! Natural disasters have erupted across many regions of the country, and unbearable rumors are spreading from abroad as well! We...!"
Reports came flooding in from the royal palace one after another.
You had occupied the throne for nearly thirty years.
The situation was now heading in an extremely dire direction. This was not something wisdom and decisions alone could solve.
Because you knew the enemy was about to arrive.
After dealing with several days' worth of accumulated state affairs, you sat wearily upon the throne, physically and mentally exhausted as you contemplated how to proceed.
"So the gods truly could not ignore this..."
Medea stood beside Moran, her face filled with worry.
She understood the heart of the problem.
"Medusa was an Earth Mother Goddess once suppressed by the gods. Now, the gods could never tolerate seeing her return to her former glory."
Atalanta, who had finished training the troops, was also in the great hall.
"...Ata, I knew this day would come sooner or later."
Moran's tone was remarkably calm.
When he had decided not to leave the island fifty years ago, he had known that one day he would face the Greek gods.
"However, not all the gods are in agreement. Among the Twelve Olympians, Poseidon, Artemis, and Ares opposed imposing sanctions on Pellasgi."
Atalanta was a follower of Artemis.
Even though she had chosen to remain by Moran's side,
she had not changed her faith.
Her faith did not conflict with the happiness she had chosen. What relieved Atalanta was that Artemis had been very tolerant.
"Although these three gods are opposed, they can only voice their objections and cannot stop the decision. At most, they can ensure they will not intervene in this dispute."
Atalanta could not help but sigh.
After all, the reappearance of the Earth Mother Goddess was an obstacle to the gods.
The gods of Olympus had not only failed to unanimously agree on annihilating their enemy,
but some machine gods had even chosen to vote against it.
That was already a miracle of fortune.
"It is already the best possible outcome if those three gods do not take action. We cannot expect them to come fight their own kind for us. Ata, what is the stance of the remaining chief gods?"
Moran had already steeled himself.
He had originally thought that all twelve machine gods would be unanimous.
He had not expected disagreements to arise.
It was not strange for Artemis to oppose it. After all, her ties with Moran truly ran deep.
Poseidon and Ares voting against it,
however, was quite unexpected.
"Hephaestus, Hades, and Hestia—those three gods abstained. They offered no opinion on this matter. As for the remaining gods..."
Atalanta trailed off hesitantly.
By this point, the gods' positions were perfectly clear.
Three of the Twelve Olympians had opposed it, three had abstained, and the remaining six had naturally agreed to the sanctions.
"Great God Zeus, Queen Hera, Athena, Apollo, Aphrodite, Demeter... So these Six Pillars Gods are our nation's enemies..."
Moran rose from the throne and muttered to himself.
Those six deities were known by everyone in Greece.
If the ruler of any nation learned that they had become enemies of those gods, they would likely be scared out of their wits and turn pale.
To make enemies of the gods was a capital crime.
To defy divine will was blasphemy.
"Moran..."
Atalanta's beautiful eyes were filled with concern.
She knew he bore the weight of the entire nation upon his shoulders and could not imagine the immense pressure her husband faced.
"This will undoubtedly be a catastrophic disaster for our nation, but this is not the time to bow our heads to the gods!"
Moran stood like a towering mountain range.
His unwavering will did not falter beneath the crushing burden.
"Pass down the order! Mobilize the entire nation and enter a state of war readiness!"
"The greatest battle in Pellasgi's history is about to arrive, and this time, our enemies will be those despicable usurpers who came from beyond this realm and seized the thrones of the Old Gods! Those machine gods who will not even permit our continued existence, who seek to exterminate us merely because their faith was taken from them!"
Moran flicked his hand as he issued the order to the palace messengers.
Every face was solemn.
As they watched the king walk through the great hall, neither guards nor ministers had yet been crushed by despair at the prospect of divine punishment.
Even death would likely hold no fear for them.
They loved this land and would not retreat a single step, for the sake of protecting the last remaining fantasy paradise in this world.
They believed Moran would lead them forward with his sword.
Even if the end of this path was destruction, not a single person would shrink back or flee.
Because they loved all of this.
They would never flee their homeland as their ancestors had.
Now, beneath their emperor's gaze, radiant like golden light,
there was compassion, there was majesty, there was sanctity.
The ministers and guards present could no longer utter a word. They only wanted to charge onto the battlefield alongside this king.
"My lords, retire and rest for tonight."
"Though the battle is likely still several days away, this should be the last time you have to take in Pellasgi with your eyes."
Moran headed toward the exit of the great hall.
When some ministers wanted to step forward and offer counsel,
he answered as though he already knew what they wished to say:
"This is not surrender, nor is it escape! I want you to remember what kind of ideal land we have built! Never forget it! We fight to live, to defeat the gods, and to reach tomorrow. That is why you must engrave this scenery into your hearts!"
Watching the king's majestic departing figure,
all the ministers and guards could not help lowering their heads and kneeling, offering their blazing loyalty to their king.
Though the great hall was silent,
everyone knew what the others held in their hearts.
"Lord Moran..."
Medea wore a sorrowful expression.
She knew Moran needed to be alone at a time like this.
As his wife, she too had things she could do for him. She could offer her strength to this nation.
"Whether in life or death, Medea will remain by your side until the very last moment, even if our enemies this time are the gods..."
Medea formed a small wish in her heart as well.
Compared to the survival or destruction of this nation,
her prayer was not for her own happiness, but for her husband to seize that happiness.
Atalanta was the same.
She too would offer her strength to Pellasgi.
You walked into a garden within the royal palace.
Thinking back on the fine words you had spoken, you could not help but laugh.
You had once imagined establishing faith for Medusa,
but you had never imagined that you would become a king.
You had never wanted to become a ruler, only to live peacefully. Yet before you knew it, you had become a king capable of standing on your own.
As you pondered how to weather this calamity,
you had never regretted reaching this point. The past fifty years had left you deeply fulfilled.
Now, you would protect it.
Just as you had protected Medusa last time.
It seemed that nothing had changed much.
The only difference was that what you needed to protect had grown larger, while the trials and disasters you faced had become far more terrifying.
"On the eve of war with the gods, is it really all right for you, one of the Twelve Olympians, to come here?"
Moran asked, pinching a leaf between his fingers.
At the same time, a beautiful figure emerged from the woods on one side of the garden.
Her bearing was sacred and beautiful.
"Oh my, dear, you found me? How awful. I was clearly planning to give you a surprise!"
"Heh. As far as surprises go, I have had more than enough already. Artemis, nothing can stop you..."
Moran's tone was gentle and filled with emotion.
He bore no hostility toward the visiting Moon Goddess.
The goddess looked at Moran with sweet eyes.
Before you continue