When Atreus mentioned the name Hippolyta, the woman in front of him showed a shocked expression.
"Are you her man?" The heroic-looking woman crossed her arms. Her delicate chin had already been tilted upward by about thirty degrees, but upon hearing that name, her deep black eyes, and even the black hair draped over her shoulders, seemed to dull slightly. "Is my sister Hippolyta... is she alright!?"
This time, it was Atreus's turn to be visibly shaken.
When the woman said that the "Starlight Crown" belonged to her sister, Atreus initially thought that the legendary Diana Prince, often thought to be an only child, had a sister in this world.
That wasn't too surprising.
After all, in Batman's "history," he had a bunch of kids, and in this world, Atreus wasn't even the only illegitimate child.
But when she referred to Diana's mother, Hippolyta, as her sister, the scope narrowed quite a bit. This meant...
"Wait! You're... Penthesilea!?"
"Of course! It is I, the queen—" Penthesilea pounded her sizable, powerful, yet still soft E-cup chest, her deep voice so resonant that even the male warriors nearby were left in awe.
This misunderstanding was huge!
Even Atreus, as someone who had traveled between worlds, was stunned for a moment. He had definitely teleported to the wrong place.
Looking at the shining gold armor on everyone around him, he confirmed once again that he wasn't mistaken. That wasn't actual gold armor—it was all brass!
Polished so brilliantly that it gleamed like gold.
Yes!
In Greek mythology, most of the wars were fought using bronze weapons.
Wonder Woman, Diana, is the daughter of Amazon Queen Hippolyta, but the one who participated in the Trojan War was another Amazon queen—Penthesilea, Hippolyta's sister! She had accidentally killed her sister and was chased by the Furies, leading her and 12 Amazon warriors to join the Trojans.
The world Atreus had teleported into was the legendary *Trojan Horse Siege* world!
The Trojan War was sparked by the abduction of the most beautiful woman in the world, Helen, and led by Agamemnon and Menelaus in a decade-long siege against Troy, ruled by King Priam.
This epic battle, recorded in the *Iliad*, was essentially a fight between the Greek gods and their descendants. Agamemnon and Menelaus, along with other Greek kings, coveted Troy's wealth and land, which was the true motive behind the war.
Greek mythology is basically the chaotic tale of Zeus's many affairs. Without Zeus's meddling, the myth would be about a third as long. If we also removed the misdeeds of his brother, Poseidon, it would probably be reduced to a tenth of its size.
The Trojan War was no different. Both sides were descendants of the Greek gods, making it a fight between family. As a result, the gods' loyalties were split and often indecisive.
Atreus had no interest in remembering all the names of the Greek gods and heroes, which were long and complicated for someone from a non-Greek-speaking culture.
After all, he already knew that in this world, which combined the multiverses of DC and Marvel, the timelines were chaotic and didn't always connect logically.
One thing was certain: this world's timeline was a mess.
While Atreus's mind was a jumble of thoughts, Penthesilea asked again, "Man, state your name and answer my question! Why do you have Hippolyta's Starlight Crown?"
It was clear that this Amazon queen wasn't someone with a lot of patience. She was only asking nicely because there was no bloody aura on the crown, meaning it hadn't been taken from her sister by force.
Atreus raised the crown in his hand. "My alias is Kratos. On the surface, I'm a Greek Spartan. I was entrusted by Queen Hippolyta to assist on Paradise Island. But clearly, there was an issue with the teleportation, and that's how I ended up here. So, tell me, is this the city of Troy?"
"What a mess..." Penthesilea's expression grew complicated as she focused on the crown in Atreus's hand, sensing the energy within it. She rubbed her temples. "You don't want to reveal your true identity, fine. But since you hold my sister's most important crown, it means she trusts you completely. So, if you're one of us, follow me."
With a gesture of invitation, Penthesilea led Atreus forward. Under the watchful eyes of everyone present, he boldly walked beside the queen, standing on her right.
At that moment, many people's expressions became quite colorful.
Because Atreus was walking side by side with Penthesilea.
The queen raised her eyebrow but ultimately didn't object.
As they walked, Atreus finally saw the legendary city with his own eyes.
In this world, where divine power was real, Atreus had every reason to believe that this magnificent city was indeed built with the help of the sun god Apollo and the sea god Poseidon.
The city's walls were 30 meters high—about ten stories tall—a height that would be astonishing even by modern standards.
It's important to remember that this was the Bronze Age. If the walls weren't built properly, their sheer weight would have collapsed them long before any enemy could attack.
Yet beneath these towering walls, the city had very few buildings taller than three stories. The city, which spanned more than ten square kilometers, was filled with brick-and-wood houses.
Atreus noticed that nearly every household had women anointing the bodies of dead men with oil, dressing them in not-so-clean funeral robes, and then lighting them on fire.
Yes!
Right out in the open.
The entire city was engulfed in a somber and despondent atmosphere, with the sound of wailing everywhere.
Even in houses where no bodies were being burned, the cries of grief could still be heard.
Penthesilea spoke softly, her red lips barely moving. "Seven days ago, this city's greatest warrior—the hero Hector—was killed by the opposing hero, Achilles. The people of Troy are deeply saddened and demoralized. Since we've been under siege, the god of war, Ares, has granted his power, allowing the people to perform a summoning ritual to call forth beings who uphold Troy's cause to fight for the city. Kratos, I have joined Troy. You... will help me, won't you?"
Atreus felt a bit overwhelmed. This situation was a mess. Wonder Woman wanted him to deal with Ares, yet here he was, meeting her aunt, who wanted him to fight Achilles. And Ares, inconveniently, was on Troy's side.
Just as Penthesilea finished speaking, not only did her Amazon guards react, but Atreus himself felt an overwhelming presence, beyond anything he had imagined, watching him closely.
The pressure was immense!
There was no way he could lie. Atreus had every reason to believe that if he tried, this presence would be able to sense it with some supernatural power.
(End of Chapter)