Chapter 214

The War of the Gods left ripples among countless deities.

Of course, not only were there gods who had declined so much they couldn’t maintain their deity status, but it was also frequent for some to have their divine powers absorbed by other gods as spoils of war.

Ultimately, while gods acted superior to humans, it was becoming evident that their actions weren’t much different from those of humans.

No, considering they possessed far greater power than humans, they were arguably even more despicable.

“Had we been able to reduce the number of gods like this, perhaps there was no need to create something like the Register of Souls. It feels like we wasted time and effort on unnecessary things.”

“Hmm. Reducing the number of gods through war isn’t really a good method.”

Predicting who would win or lose in the war, who would lose their godhood, and who would absorb others—accurately foreseeing such futures wasn’t an easy task.

Though, it’s not entirely impossible.

“And such wars will never happen again, I believe.”

Many gods perished on that battlefield. That fact will be deeply ingrained in the bones of the surviving gods.

Thus, a war like that won’t happen again—even if someone tries to incite one. With destruction assured, no one would want to engage in a war leading to ruin.

Realizing they could perish due to the war, gods wouldn’t even think about the word “war” anymore—similar to the mutually assured destruction of the Cold War era.

“Do you think so? But… there are those who didn’t participate in this war, right? Could they start another?”

“The Aesir bastards, you mean?”

At my words, Shamash nodded slightly.

The Aesir, the harsh earth gods who follow Odin.

While it’s hard to say there’s absolutely no possibility of them starting a war…

“Odin doesn’t seem like he’d do such a thing.”

Because Odin has already destabilized things enough using the wise man’s words; rather than going to war with other gods, he’d likely try to preserve the Aesir gods through other means. In short, he’s riding the meta.

“Are you that sure?”

“Yes, I’m certain.”

Maybe he’s already in motion. Odin knows well that even if Baal is restored as the king of gods, those who held pieces of Baal can never return to how they were before.

If Odin loses the eye containing Baal’s wisdom, all that remains is an old, blind god of foolishness.

That fool Zeus hasn’t realized this yet—but Zeus is different from the other three. Unlike them, who possessed Baal’s heart, body, and eye, Zeus holds authority and power through Baal’s crown—not a part of his physical form. Even if he sacrifices Baal’s piece, he’ll survive, losing only authority and power—not himself.

Whereas Odin, possessing Baal’s eye of wisdom, would become just a powerless old man if he lost it. Only his authority and power would vanish.

“Then… let’s observe for about ten years.”

“Hmm. We should keep an eye on Baal reborn as a human… wasn’t it Rychlen now? What a strange name.”

“It’s because it’s a human-given name.”

“Anyway, if nothing unusual happens, we should watch over the child as he grows.”

Since the gods’ momentum has been slightly dampened by the war, it seems unlikely they’ll cause chaos anytime soon. So, we might have a peaceful period ahead.

“Baal reincarnated as a human… I wonder how he’ll grow up.”

“Be careful not to interfere directly. Indirect involvement is fine though.”

“Yeah, I know. Baal deserves to fully enjoy life as a human.”

If his life as a human is dictated by other gods, wouldn’t Baal be disappointed?

Though, we’ve roughly planned out his life. First, he needs to walk the path of a hero.

Let’s see… If we raise him like Hercules, that might work. Living the life of a celebrated hero—growing with a blessed body and excellent mentors.

Ah, but Hercules’ Twelve Labors might be too much. Perhaps we should tone it down and reduce the number of trials?

And during his growth, proper moral education is necessary. We don’t want him developing anger management issues like Hercules or becoming overly arrogant.

Hmm. For that, we need to find a good teacher first. Being a child blessed by the gods, many will vie to teach him.

—

Rychlen grew day by day.

Even at a young age, his god-blessed body was stronger and sturdier than most adults, and his sharp wisdom allowed him to understand one teaching and extrapolate it into hundreds of insights.

Many sought to become the mentor of this child blessed by the gods, but most left after a short while.

The exceptionally talented child quickly absorbed the knowledge and wisdom imparted by his teachers, turning it into his own within moments. Once their reservoir of teachings was depleted, the teachers had no choice but to step down.

Though this happened because he was too gifted, neither Rychlen nor his parents thought much of it.

The world is vast, and there are plenty of remarkable individuals. The bud of heroism hadn’t yet bloomed.

Thus, those seeking to make this flower bloom continuously came to Rychlen.

“That seems to be going well.”

“You already know what I’m going to say, don’t you?”

Shamash grumbled slightly.

Since the legal scholar he sent as a teacher had recently retired after passing all his knowledge to Rychlen, he was still a little miffed.

“But… truly, it’s the soul of a god, isn’t it? He’s incomparably brilliant compared to ordinary humans.”

“That’s true. I didn’t expect this level of brilliance.”

Baal—no, Rychlen—was extraordinarily talented beyond description.

He absorbed teachings like a sponge, forcing even the best teachers to exhaust their knowledge within days and step down.

“Moreover, physically, he’s extraordinary too. Despite not being an adult yet, to possess such a physique… it’s incredible.”

“Hmm. That physique must be thanks to Zeus’s blessing.”

Even in his mid-teens, his physique was already unmatched by most adults—a truly blessed body.

“Then, who should we send next as a teacher?”

“Hmm. It seems we’ve covered enough general knowledge… His body has grown sufficiently, so now it’s time to teach him how to fight.”

“To fight?”

In this Age of the Gods, heroes either shine on battlefields or gain fame by defeating powerful monsters. Knowing how to fight is almost essential.

“Hmm. But someone skilled enough to teach that boy…”

“I know a few people, so don’t worry.”

Let’s see… The closest option would be Asterios.

After concluding his journey with me, Asterios returned to his homeland and became the king of Minoa. He’s geographically close to Rychlen.

Of course, as a king, he can’t leave his post easily, so we’ll need to send Rychlen to Minoa instead. And since Asterios received Indra’s blessing to wield the power of lightning, he should be able to adequately train Rychlen, who possesses Zeus’s blessing.

—

“So, what do you think?”

“Ahh, Tia. You’ve come.”

The training ground in the Minoan palace. When I visited where Asterios and Rychlen were training, Asterios greeted me.

Twenty years had passed, and the once-young Asterios had grown into a fine ruler. Drawing upon the experiences and knowledge gained during his travels, he now governs Minoa admirably.

Who would’ve guessed that the large, trapped youth in the labyrinth would grow into such a capable leader?

“If only you had informed us earlier, we could’ve prepared.”

“Nah, I just dropped by briefly. Anyway, Rychlen, what do you think of this kid?”

Asterios’ disciple, Rychlen, had rapidly improved under his tutelage.

“Remarkable. I wasn’t nearly as skilled at his age.”

“Hmm. A child blessed by the gods. If he continues to grow, he’ll surely create countless stories.”

At my words, Asterios smiled faintly.

“He’s a bit impulsive and quick to anger, but if he learns to control those tendencies, he’ll definitely become a hero. I guarantee it.”

“With your guarantee, I trust him.”

I looked at Rychlen, who lay exhausted in the training ground. Despite his weary expression, a small smile lingered on his lips.

He seemed content with his current life.

“That’s fortunate.”

“Huh?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

I shook my head slightly and then said to Asterios,

“If you need anything, let me know. I’ll prepare what I can.”

“Something needed… Hmm, actually, the kid has shown interest in archery. We’ll need a teacher for that.”

“Archery?”

“Yes. And we’ll also need a bow strong enough to withstand his immense strength.”

“Archery, huh…”

Perhaps I should ask Yggdrasil? An elf-made bow might suit the situation.

Ah, speaking of which, weapons? Does he need any?

“Weapons aren’t necessary.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Since normal weapons break easily under his strength, he just uses whatever he can grab.”

Asterios pointed at the splintered wooden fragments scattered across the training ground. Originally weapons, they now lay shattered.

“His strength is too great. Normal weapons don’t last long, so he just breaks branches off trees to use as clubs.”

“Breaking branches for clubs…?”

Hmm. In that case… Asking Yggdrasil would neatly solve the problem. If he makes both a bow and a sturdy wooden club, that should suffice.

“In that case, I’ll prepare a bow and a wooden club made from the World Tree. Something durable enough not to break.”

A weapon crafted from the World Tree, Yggdrasil, should hold up against even his monstrous strength.

“For the archery teacher… bringing Example should suffice. There’s no one better at archery than him.”

After all, he’s a sun god who shoots arrows at celestial bodies. Perfect for teaching archery.