On the other side of the sea.
Likewise, the other side of the continental margin.
Inside the Parthenon on the Acropolis of Athens.
Here, twelve Doric columns support the towering stone dome, with a white glow on the top.
The sunlight shines through the gaps in the marble, casting mottled shadows on the stone floor.
Archons from Athens, Sparta, Corinth, Thebes and other city-states gathered together, their robes embroidered with the emblems of their respective city-states.
All the Greek city-states came together.
But to be more precise, all the alliances came together.
Because, although these city-states belonged to the same cultural circle, they did not belong to the same alliance.
Some of these city-states belonged to an alliance led by Athens, while others were influenced by Sparta.
In addition, some city-states remained independent and were unwilling to take a clear stand.
Although this conference was ostensibly a pan-Greek gathering, it was actually a meeting between the major alliances.
In the past, their goals and positions were not completely consistent.
The archons of all city-states entered the venue and greeted each other.
Only the archons of Sparta and Athens greeted each other without any extra words of greeting.
The air is filled with the aroma of olive oil and a faint smell of gunpowder.
The Archon of Athens stood in the center, his white robe embroidered with Athena's owl emblem, and holding a sapphire-inlaid scepter in his hand.
The Spartan archon looked at him and simply crossed his arms tighter across his chest.
The voice of the Athenian archon was clear and rhythmic, and as soon as he opened his mouth, he made everyone quiet down.
"Everyone, I have something important to discuss with you today."
"I believe everyone is aware of this incident, where Holy Egypt summoned the demon Baphomet to defeat the Hebrew army."
The Spartan archon then interjected: "And he killed a god."
The Athenian archon merely nodded in acknowledgement and then went on talking.
"The war between Holy Egypt and the Hebrews has ended, but the aftermath of the war is far from over."
"We have received reliable information that the Holy Pharaoh of Holy Egypt not only recruited the demons of the Witch Coven, but also tried to take the heritage of Atlantis for himself."
"Moreover, killing gods has violated the taboos of the gods."
As soon as he finished speaking, the Spartan archon snorted coldly.
He wore a scarlet cape, bronze bracers wrapped around his muscled arms, and his voice was like a war drum: "The Athenians always like to cover up simple facts with flowery words."
"We Spartans never care about demons or not. What we care about is whether they will become the next Hebrews!"
"I suggest that all city-states unite to eradicate Holy Egypt first to prevent the emergence of a second Hebrew Empire."
The Archon of Corinth gently swirled the glass of crimson wine in his hand.
He just chuckled and said, "The Spartan archon is right, but we Corinthians are more concerned about trade."
"If Holy Egypt allows Atlantis to control the Mediterranean shipping routes, our ships won't even be able to get close to the mouth of the Nile."
“If this continues, trade at our ports will be affected.”
At this time, the archon of Thebes slowly stood up. Apollo's harp was embroidered on his robe, and he held a staff inlaid with moonstone in his hand.
“I just want to remind you all not to forget that the power of Holy Egypt lies not only in military and economics.”
"Their Holy Pharaoh Linke is said to be able to control a mysterious power, and even the demons of the Witch Demon Society can submit to him."
"Such power is not something that mortals can possess."
"If we don't stop it, I'm afraid that in the future, Holy Egypt will become even more arrogant and may even become an empire."
The Archon of Athens nodded and glanced at the crowd: "The Archon of Thebes is right."
"We Athenians admire wisdom and art, but we will not sit idly by and watch the rise of Holy Egypt and pose a threat to us."
"I propose that we jointly launch a religious war and declare war on Holy Egypt in the name of 'purifying the devil'."
The Spartan archon clenched his fist, revealing several rows of blue veins: "Religious war? The Athenians always like to use such hypocritical names."
"We only believe in strength. If we want to start a war, we will start a war. We don't need to use any religion as a banner."
The Archon of Corinth took another sip of wine and said, "War is unavoidable, but we cannot ignore economic means."
"I propose that we impose a trade blockade on Holy Egypt and cut off all their trade routes."
"At the same time, we can secretly support the remnants of the Hebrews and let them create chaos behind the Holy Egypt."
The Archon of Thebes nodded slowly: "The Archon of Corinth's proposal is very insightful."
"However, we still need the protection of the gods."
"I suggest that we pray to the oracle at the Temple of Delphi and at the same time offer sacrifices to Mount Olympus, asking for guidance from Zeus and Athena."
The Archon of Athens smiled and nodded: "The Archon of Thebes' suggestion is very good."
"We Athenians are willing to offer the most precious sacrifices, including a pure gold statue of Athena."
The Spartan archon shook his head and said, "We Spartans don't need these fancy things."
"Our sacrifice will be the head of our enemy, and I will stain the altar of Olympus red with blood."
The Archon of Corinth swirled his glass gently, then spoke: "The Archon of Sparta is as brave as ever."
"However, we Corinthians prefer to solve the problem with gold coins."
"We can hire more soldiers and have them create chaos on the border of Holy Egypt."
The Archon of Thebes slowly stood up and glanced at the crowd with a serious expression.
"Everyone, our goals are the same."
“Whether it’s a religious war, a military war, or an economic war, our ultimate goal is to weaken the power of Holy Egypt and protect our city-state.”
"I propose that we form a joint council to jointly formulate a strategy for Holy Egypt."
The Archon of Athens nodded: "Thebes' proposal is very good."
"We Athenians are willing to provide a meeting place and coordinate the actions of the various city-states."
The Spartan archon just stared at the Athenian archon, then slowly spoke: "The Athenians are still the same as before, always wanting to be in control of everything."
"However, as long as you don't hold us back, we Spartans are very willing to cooperate."
The consul of Corinth raised his voice: "We Corinthians will also give our full support."
"However, I hope that after the war is over, we can share the secrets of Holy Egypt."
"And, of course, the wealth of Atlantis."
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