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Chapter 146

It was Aiolos, the Wind God. He was the king of Aeolia Island and a god of the Olympus pantheon. As the favorite of Zeus, the Chief God of Olympus, Aiolos had risen to divinity and become the ruler of the seasonal winds.

Did Atlantis use the name of a Void Deity as the name of their Sea District? I wonder if they knew what kind of name they were using.

According to what Demian had told him, recognition could potentially be linked to worship. This was why the Order of the White Dragon had a dedicated team for archaeology and theology to scrutinize information carefully.

Curious, Leonard asked Demian whether there might be worshipers of the Void Deities in Atlantis.

“What? Atlantis? Oh, that place,” Demian casually dismissed it after a brief moment of surprise.

“The name Atlantis that the Maritime Alliance calls themselves is derived from the remnants of an island that existed long ago. It also refers to the Divine Territory of the Sea God, Poseidon, one of the three most powerful and authoritative gods among the twelve Olympian gods,” Demian continued.

“Then, if the Maritime Alliance use names like ‘Aiolos’ and ‘Poseidon,’ won’t that amplify the power or the influence of the Void Deities?” Leonard questioned.

Demian smiled, nodding affirmatively yet also dismissively. “That could be the case if Aiolos and Poseidon were well-known. But recognition isn’t just about a few letters. It’s about what the name represents and how people perceive it.”

If spreading a Void Deity’s name widely could restore its influence, the world would have already reverted to the mythicalera. While the names of gods and remnants of the ancient eras were common, they did not directly enhance divine influence.

The reason for that was simple. The Arcadian Empire had spent centuries erasing ancient records and history, reducing gods to mere myths that people didn’t take seriously anymore.

“Even if people learn that ‘Aiolos’ and ‘Poseidon’ are names of gods, without genuine belief or fear, it won’t benefit the Void Deities. So, don\'t worry too much about it. Such emotions would only be nourishment for them,” Demian advised.

“Besides, it’s only natural that names of gods are frequently used within the Atlantis Maritime Alliance. After all, it’s influenced by the nearby ruins of Atlantis, a sunken island from ancient times.”

“...So, regulating it all is impossible.”

“Not unless it’s under imperial jurisdiction. We can’t manage places across the continent. Making a fuss out of it would only raise more questions.”

Despite its overwhelming power that deterred any challengers, there would always be forces seeking to bring down the Arcadian Empire. For that reason, the military strength of the Three Noble Houses was meticulously hidden, and the true purpose of the Seven Great Orders remained undisclosed.

Both Demian and Leonard knew all too well the depths of human malice.

“What do you think would happen if it became known that we protect the world? Would everyone shed tears of gratitude and bow their heads?”

Unlike Demian’s playful tone, his words were chilling.

Leonard responded with a bitter smile, “Absolutely not. They’d probably conspire with the Outer Gods, Void Deities, Celestials, or Demoniacs to overthrow the Empire, seeing it as an opportunity.”

“Hah! Looks like I have nothing left to teach you. It might seem pessimistic for someone under twenty to say something like that, but that’s reality.”

“Though I find it equally incredible that the Arcadian Empire and the Three Noble Houses have maintained their sense of duty for centuries.”

Leonard’s sentiment came from witnessing too much human depravity in his previous life. If Arcadia genuinely aimed for world domination, it could take over all the nations in under a month. They could wield absolute power if they just let go of the baggage weighing them down.

The sacrifices they made, going unrecognized, transcended conviction and bordered on madness.

Demian merely smiled, not denying Leonard’s words. “Well, I reckon fighting formidable foes is more remarkable than flaunting your power over the weak.”

The pride of the Three Noble Houses stemmed from something akin to arrogance and a sense of superiority. They believed the weak were unworthy adversaries and ought to remain sheltered in ignorance. This was the extreme of noblesse oblige, a principle proven by centuries of history and embodied by the Cardenas family.

Leonard found it impressive. As a martial artist, there was no place better suited for him than this family.

He returned to reading the Subjugation Order.

* * *

1. Aiolos

—Discovered an island surrounded by an unbreakable bronze wall. The existence of the Divine Territory, Aeolia, has been confirmed. Due to the wall being resistant to magic surveillance, further details are unknown.

Size: B

Measured Rank: D+

Overall Assessment: Aiolos possesses the authority to control seasonal winds. He can summon and command four types of winds. Wind-related magic and spiritual arts are nullified. The spring wind calls forth vitality, the summer wind burns enemies, the autumn wind weakens life forms, and the winter wind freezes everything. It has been confirmed that Aiolos possesses techniques that allow him to blow enemies away or draw them in.

* From measured rank C+ upwards, it is recommended that a captain participate in the subjugation mission.

2. Circe

—The existence of the Divine Territory, Aeaea, has been confirmed. As the ancient magical barrier couldn’t be breached, no further details are available.

Size: ?

Measured Rank: D

Overall Assessment: Circe possesses immortality and is a witch goddess and disciple of Hecate, the Goddess of Magic. She uses ancient magic, mainly transforming targets into animals or insects. While it is reported that she occasionally summons or commands monsters, her primary focus is poison and transformation magic. It is recommended that individuals with artifacts capable of sealing ancient magic or with unique traits that grant them magic resistance participate in the mission.

3. Castor

—The existence of the Divine Territory, Gemini, has been confirmed. Inside, there is a forest area patrolled by centaurs, a servant race, with their combat power confirmed to be at the upper External Force Tier. They use archery and spear techniques, and no magical abilities have been confirmed.

Size: D

Measured Rank: D

Overall Assessment: Castor is the God of Horsemanship, and his divinity symbolizes cavalry. As such, his power is maximized on horseback. He is presumed to have abilities to command or enhance the centaurs. Although he is considerably strong, he is not able to overpower Transcendence Tier beings. No fragments exceeding intermediate-rank power have been found yet. However, it is reported that he once summoned Zeus’ lightning bolt.

***

The Wind God, Aiolos; the Witch Goddess, Circe; and the Cavalry God, Castor.

Having carefully read the reports on these three Void Deities, Leonard had a general sense of the difficulty each one posed.

Aiolos is a being of pure strength, but the unpredictable nature of Circe’s magic means the difficulty could vary depending on the attribute she uses.

According to the Subjugation Order, those transformed by Circe’s ancient magic would have their abilities almost completely sealed. While there were potions and artifacts to counter her magic, being caught off-guard could be fatal.

Circe’s use of poison and hallucinations was also troublesome. She could employ strategies like filling her entire territory with poison and hiding or making the subjugation squad fight each other, which were trickier than direct combat.

“If you don’t have any more questions, go see the Third Squadron I introduced you to last time and talk with them,” Demian said, yawning as he leaned back in his chair. “There’s no time limit, so decide which of the three to subjugate first.”

“All three of them?” Leonard asked.

“You can’t properly experience the Order of the White Dragon with just one or two missions. I’ve already discussed it with the other commanders. You’ll likely participate in three or four missions with the Order of the Red Dragon and Order of the Blue Dragon as well.”

Leonard had merely been a spectator during Tyr’s subjugation mission, which meant this was his first real mission. He understood the arrangements and left Demian’s office, knowing where he needed to go.

The Third Squadron, huh? It’s not far from here.

The lodging of the four knights he had previously sparred with wasn’t far away. Leonard quickly arrived there after crossing a few corridors and stairs in the Ivory Forest. Conveniently, they were all present.

“Oh, a Subjugation Order,” Isaac said, taking the document from Leonard.

He then passed it around the group before bringing over some chairs to sit around the table. This wasn’t a matter to be discussed lightly.

Isaac spoke first, sharing his opinion, “Let’s start with Circe or Castor. We need to be fully prepared for Aiolos, and even then, it’s not certain we’ll be able to handle him. We shouldn’t go against Aiolos without testing our teamwork first.”

“I agree. Castor should be manageable for us to get used to working together. And Circe could be complicated depending on the tactics she uses,” Hugo added.

The other two nodded, having no objections. Leonard also found Hugo’s reasoning sound. There was no need to take on the most formidable enemy, Aiolos, for their first mission. Besides, Circe’s unpredictable nature could very well make her mission different from standard ones.

“Do you have detailed information about Castor?” Leonard asked.

Isaac nodded without hesitation, “Yes, I’ve participated in two subjugations for him before. As the Cavalry God, his horsemanship is extraordinary, but his combat power is slightly above the Transcendence Tier. If we can dismount him, one-on-one combat shouldn’t be too difficult.”

“What’s Castor’s authority as a Void Deity?”

“The main ones are Horsemanship, which allows him to dominate horses, and Command, which strengthens cavalries. Other than that, nothing notable has been reported.”

Castor did not possess any authority directly linked to combat abilities. As such, his subjugation difficulty would generally be lowered by two or three levels.

If he were the God of Archery with an authority like Absolute Accuracy, he would be a formidable opponent. However, Horsemanship required a horse, and at the Transcendence Tier, the advantages for cavalries diminished.

In the end, the target for their first subjugation mission was decided unanimously.

“I’ll report that we will proceed with Castor’s subjugation. By tomorrow, Wickeline will send over a space mage.”

Even if the location wasn’t accessible through a spatial portal, they would have to wait a day for a mage from Wickeline, which was actually ridiculously fast. Executing a mission the day after assembling a team of five Transcendence Tier knights was truly incredible.

With this combat force, they would wreak havoc wherever they went. Not even all the Rank A expedition teams in Atlantis would be able to match them.

Hmm?

Leonard noticed the gazes on him and smiled, knowing what the Third Squadron was expecting.

“Shall we have a light spar to prepare for tomorrow’s mission? The last spar was quite beneficial,” Leonard suggested.

The four White Dragon knights reacted immediately.

“Sh-Shall we?”

“Let’s go!”

“Agreed.”

“Ehem! Well, if you insist. I’ll write up the report first.”

Though they couldn’t expend too much energy before the mission, exchanging sword techniques and insights was still manageable.

Leonard watched Isaac walk toward his desk, looking especially dejected compared to the others rushing to the training ground.

Just like that, the day before Castor’s subjugation mission passed by.