December Double Drop!
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"I wonder when Chaldea will show up…"Suren's thoughts drifted toward Chaldea, the organization charged by the Counter Force as the last line of defense for human history. Its mission was to prune away any unnecessary branches from the Human Order—preserving only the core of the Pan-Human History.
He had once encountered Chaldea's Master in that surreal, half-legendary realm of Britain and personally acknowledged their worth.
Even now, Suren recognized that Chaldea's Master was strong and noble enough to be a true savior.
But as the Emperor of Greece, as the Golden King of gods and men, his first duty was to answer to the people and gods who believed in him, those who had stood by his side.
If Chaldea intended to erase this world, then they would have to go through him—through all he had created. Otherwise, human history would have to diverge.
Suren sought Athena's counsel, persuading the gods to grant humanity access to their knowledge of technology.
Magic and divine blood could only produce individual strength, but for true power derived from the collective, there was nothing like the mass production of a technological age.
Upon his return to Athens, Suren pushed for rapid technological advancement, laying the foundations of an industrial society. He hoped to build up their technological power to the point where they could summon a massive army of golems and steel.
Behold, the tech of the Age of Gods!
The resources of the Age of Gods were incomparably abundant, brimming with energies that mere mortal resources like oil could never rival. How else could this era sustain the incredible needs of the gods themselves?
For example, a single celestial beast consumed unimaginable amounts of energy in a single day. And yet, among the gods, it wasn't even considered an exceptional energy drain.
With the resources of the Age of Gods backing him, Suren speculated that Chaldea might not even make it to his doorstep before being overwhelmed by Greece's flood of machinery.
"Once, I wanted to grant Chaldea a glimmer of hope…" Suren mused, his gaze distant. "But that was because I hadn't yet found an alternative solution better than Chaldea's."
"Now, I have my answer."
By that time, Suren had already bid farewell to Britain, wielding his simulation powers to create parallel realms—like embedding a pseudo-singularity from the Lostbelt as a fully realized world within Type-Moon's human history, a world for Chaldea to prune.
But now, Suren believed he had discovered the optimal path—a world that required no intervention. To him, the Greece of this golden age, the Greece under his vision, was the most perfect world.
Yet this beauty violated human history itself. As Chaldea's very purpose was to preserve the Human Order, they would inevitably come to interfere and cut away this dream of a world.
This was not a matter of morality or goodness. It was simply a matter of differing perspectives. Suren harbored no bitterness toward the Master he had once helped empower, a gesture that allowed Ritsuka Fujimaru the strength now to stand against him.
"If they come with fire and sword, I'll meet them with shield and stone. If Chaldea wants to prune this divine Age of Greece, then let them face me in a battle to the death!"
Suren's resolve was unbreakable. He was certain that even if Chaldea's full might descended upon Greece, he had the power to drive them back.
"This is the golden utopia I have built, the best of all worlds," Suren declared with a smile, the crown on his head gleaming with the full glory and authority of Greece, a symbol of his dominion over the gods.
By now, Suren truly had become the Golden King of gods and men, the God above gods, the King of Kings—even if the string of titles gave him a slight sense of unease. Yet as their king, as the Golden King, he knew he must bear both the blessings and misfortunes of this world.
To wear the crown, one must bear its weight.
To bear the fortune of the world, and also its misfortune.
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"Now let's see just how many faces you've got."
Suren reached out, seizing the "Helen" before him. With a swift tug, he pulled at her face, revealing the true form of Artemis beneath. He chuckled coldly. "Come on, you reek of a certain... scent. Do you really think Artemis, the eternal maiden, could ever give off such a vibe?"
"Uh…" Caught off guard, "Artemis" hesitated, then shifted into the appearance of Persephone.
"Better, but Persephone's heart belongs to Hades," Suren said calmly. "Stop pretending, Aphrodite. That unmistakable essence of fertility and seduction is yours alone. No other goddess could carry that aura."
It seemed the Greek pantheon had one too many goddesses vying for his attention.
With some difficulty, Suren finally extricated himself from Aphrodite's grasp and arrived at the secret retreat where he was to meet with Athena.
The little hideaway had remained unchanged over the years. Every time he entered, a wave of calm washed over him.
"Really, this is the third goddess this month that's shown up on my doorstep. Athena, do you have any idea what's going on?" he couldn't help but complain.
As always, Athena sat there waiting for him. She was a constant presence, always there when he needed to turn back, always patiently waiting for her hero to come into his own.
"Who knows~" Athena smiled, shaking her head. "Suren, have you completed your dream?"
"Hmm, mostly," Suren replied, not fully grasping the depth of her question. But his answer was honest; he knew uniting Greece was only one step in a larger vision.
Because beyond Greece lay the Persian Empire to the east and the Egyptian kingdom to the south. Though Suren's Greece thrived under his rule, the threats around it remained.
"Is that so…" Athena murmured. Gently, she reached out to touch Suren's face, whispering, "Don't push yourself too hard. It's alright to slow down, to enjoy the view along the way."
To see the ones who wait for you.
Suren didn't resist Athena's touch, sighing softly, "Just a little longer. I know this isn't like me, but I really do need more time…"
"You don't need to explain yourself to me~"
With a soft laugh, Athena replied, "Suren, you are the Emperor of Greece, the Golden King, the ruler of gods and men, the highest in this world. You… owe no one an apology!"
The darling of the gods, I could never resent you.
"You'll spoil me if you keep this up," Suren chuckled, half to himself. Whether goddess or mortal, nearly every woman he met seemed to reassure him with the same message.
That he needn't apologize, whether he loved someone or didn't, that his choices were his own, and he should follow his heart.
Suren dozed on Athena's lap for an entire afternoon, and when he awoke, Athena placed a gentle hand on his forehead, clearing away the last dregs of sleep before nudging him up. "Dinner time is coming, so I won't keep you… hmph."
Suren felt his burdens lighten. The golden age of the gods no longer needed tending. The laws and customs he'd woven were upheld not out of compulsion but out of a willing belief that they benefited everyone.
After all, the rule of law served most people well, restraining only a handful of unruly heroes, while ordinary citizens found themselves naturally upholding its justice.
Under these new laws, people could choose their own paths freely. A Spartan could become a scholar in Athens if they wished; an Athenian could wander the countryside without needing to fear Artemis's wrath.
This was what Suren had envisioned—an age of happiness for all in this golden era of the gods.
With this peace, Suren felt a calm he hadn't known in ages. He could finally enjoy this beautiful world he had fought to create.
Meeting Athena's gaze, Suren walked out of the temple with a serene sigh. "Can't really blame me for this one…"
Athena knew of his prior engagement, so she allowed him to leave, even if it wasn't her first choice.
Though a little anxious, Suren made his way to Hestia's temple.
Upon opening the door, he found Hestia in an apron, her petite yet curvaceous figure highlighted from behind. Even her twin tails seemed to frame her allure perfectly.
Truly, there was no goddess in all of Greece who embodied the twin-tail aesthetic better than Hestia.
She's beautiful, he thought wistfully. This was why he had delayed making a choice.
Athena had a worthy rival. Even for someone as driven and decisive as Suren, choosing between them was impossible.
He felt like he was stuck in a legendary trolley problem, bound to harm one of them no matter his decision.
Perhaps, for now, he could let time be the judge?
In the middle of Suren's reverie, Hestia sensed his presence. Without even turning, she greeted him warmly, "Suren, you're back? Take a seat—I've prepared all your favorites."
The strange sense of familiarity… Hestia welcomed him with the ease of a partner married for years.
Suren took his usual seat without a second thought, accepting the plate Hestia handed him.
Like Athena, Hestia didn't openly express her feelings. She only smiled and asked, "How's the food tonight? Anything you'd like to change?"
Or maybe… would you like to help me improve it?
After a pause, Suren replied quietly, "...No, it's perfect, Hestia."
"That's good to hear. Oh, Suren…" Hestia continued in a steady flow of conversation, her social anxiety seeming to disappear in his presence. Her usual reserve melted away as they chatted.
They talked for a long time, and as Suren was about to leave, Hestia hesitated before asking carefully, "Suren… you'll come back, won't you?"
"Yes," he nodded, ultimately unable to deny her request.
As he left Hestia's temple, Suren heaved a long sigh. He hadn't wanted to become someone who indulged in the affections of two women, but choosing between Hestia and Athena seemed impossible.
"Please forgive me… just let me think it over a little longer."
No amount of time spent deliberating seemed to ease the difficulty of this monumental choice, so he reluctantly chose the escape route, as cowardly as it might feel.
"After all, there's still plenty of time!" Suren stretched his arms, ready to relish in life's joys. Finally, he could savor the beauty of Greece's divine era, without concern for the destruction of human history.
This path he'd created was unlike any before it—a future where gods and humans could coexist, one that no nation or culture had ever taken.
For Suren, this was the best possible path. He felt he had achieved the ultimate goal and could now enjoy his well-earned rewards.
After all, he thought, I have all the time in the world…
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The Underworld, Capital of Hades' Realm
Suren, acting as an honorary judge, had been invited to preside over a trial.
A trial in the Underworld could only mean a heinous case of murder.
This one was fairly simple—a wife had conspired with her lover to kill her husband, only for her daughter to poison them both. In the end, the entire family ended up gathered in the Underworld.
Such tragedies weren't uncommon in Greece. Even under Suren's pact between gods and mortals, such crimes were difficult to prevent entirely.
Previously, Greek gods hadn't bothered with judging marital betrayals and murders, since they happened all too often.
Only when a child avenged their parent's death would it catch the gods' attention.
After all, killing one's parent was a sin unforgivable across all eras and lands.
Suren had once promised Hades he'd serve as an honorary judge in the Underworld, though he'd been too preoccupied to accept the role.
But now, with free time at his disposal, he readily accepted Hades' invitation to preside in the Underworld.
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T/N: Lmao jinxed it
Thanks for reading! Let me know if you spot any mistakes or inconsistencies!
Posture and water check! Remember this is a fan translation!
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