Myth: The Ruler of Spirituality

The next day.

Perhaps because of the spread and fermentation of the news from the previous day, when Andrea returned to yesterday's location, she found the environment had dramatically changed.

A huge umbrella-like structure had been erected, shielding the sunlight, and the original crude wooden table had been replaced with exquisite courtly furnishings.

Two rows of guards stood on both sides, and the quality of the onlooking crowd had noticeably improved.

Those who had come out of speculation the day before were nowhere to be seen, or rather, they didn't have the qualifications to approach. Now, those waiting here were those who possessed a bit of Fame and learning.

"Miss Leah, your actions yesterday caught the attention of the high echelons of the church; anyone who reveals their own wisdom will be valued by the Church of Knowledge."

"Today, your 'game' will be conducted under our supervision to maintain order, and furthermore, we'll accommodate your reasonable demands."

"Hmm, thank you, if necessary."

After nodding her thanks, Andrea immediately sat down at the table.

Is this what it feels like to be respected by others based on one's own merit? It was quite gratifying... Without wasting any time, she sat up straight and said:

"A day has passed, I suppose you can hardly wait, so let the game commence now."

"Yesterday no one could defeat me; I expect that today, the wise men of the Mortal Realm won't disappoint me either."

The atmosphere immediately turned serious as her words fell; this direct intellectual challenge clearly incited the anger of those present... and noticing this, Andrea stealthily glanced at Laine in the crowd.

Although Laine had changed his appearance, she could still recognize him. In fact, many of the things she said over the past two days had been taught to her by Laine.

If it were up to her alone, she would not have been able to say such things... Yes, that's correct.

Feeling inspired, Andrea's spirits soared.

...

After crossing a few streets and then lightly leaping, he arrived on top of a building, under the helpless gaze of his guard.

Odysseus, standing tall above, watched Andrea, who was surrounded by layers of people.

A trace of astonishment flickered at the base of his eyes— the young prince hadn't expected to find such a beautiful girl here.

He had heard about a Princess named Helen from the far-off Sparta, a land of warriors dominated by great slave masters, whose beauty was widely known.

The prince had never seen Helen, but he thought the girl in front of him was the most beautiful in his eyes.

"What, Odysseus, are you smitten with her? That won't do—"

A complaint rang from beside him as the young aristocrat Mode put his arm around his friend's shoulder.

"I was counting on you to reclaim my honor, and I've already declared that; you can't back down now."

"Cough, what are you thinking, there's no backing down." Your next read awaits at My Virtual Library Empire

Startled by his friend's voice, Odysseus gave a light cough to gather himself.

"I have no thoughts about her, just observing her facial expressions when facing her opponent... Okay, even if I did, I would have to defeat her first."

It must be said, the mature appearance Laine molded for Andrea was indeed stunningly attractive, especially considering it paired an adult look with a twelve-year-old soul, a perfect example of a contrasting demeanor that unsettled many upon first meeting.

But this was the pinnacle of Mortal beauty that could be achieved, anything further entered the extraordinary Domain.

Even the Helen who triggered the War of Troy, in reality, possessed that nearly mind-twisting beauty because she was blessed by the Goddess of Beauty, and could make an army that had suffered ten years of bitter warfare conclude she was blameless with just a smile.

However, this time, it was unlikely that another god would bless her... But considering her original fate, it was hard to tell whether that was good or bad.

"Winning a beauty's heart with power, huh, Odysseus? It's said that the young King of Athens, Theseus, conquered the Amazon Queen Hippolyta in just this way... Looks like you want to emulate him, and rightly so, since this is Athens after all."

Seeing that Odysseus hadn't given up, Mode relaxed and then teased him with a smile.

"Cough, Mode, let's not talk about this yet, let's watch the game. You told me about the rules earlier, and I tried them out when I went back."

"What, have you already deciphered its mysteries?"

Excited, Mode stopped joking and looked expectantly at his friend, but Odysseus just shook his head.

"No, not yet... If there's only one row, it's very simple, the first player to act wins. He just needs to reach a point where only two Gold Coins are left in one go. If there are two rows, it's also easy to judge.

If the initial number of Gold Coins in the two rows is the same, then the second player wins—he just needs to take the same number of coins as the first player to maintain the balance, so the last coin will inevitably end up in his hands. On the other hand, if the number of coins is different in the two rows, then the first player wins by just taking away the surplus coins."

"But three rows..."

It was clear that as the number of Gold Coins increased, the difficulty of calculation also increased. Given more time, Odysseus felt he could understand, but now, he obviously didn't have that luxury.

"What do you plan to do?"

With a change in expression, Mode asked nervously.

"Don't rush me, don't rush... Mode, you know, in a game where the opponent clearly knows the rules better and is more aware of the loopholes, charging in directly is the most foolish act. And trying to familiarize oneself with the rules and loopholes is merely what ordinary people would choose."