The Villain of Ancient Greece

At this moment, in the clearing at the center of the forest—

Two beautiful girls, both petite in stature with purple hair tied up in black-and-white veils, stood elegantly in their lavish gowns, arms crossed over their chests as they glared at the younger figure before them.

That younger figure was their youngest sister, once the most obedient (and easiest to bully).

Who would have thought that after just a few months apart, this little brat would start mingling with humans, become a servant of the gods, and even dare to defy her elder sisters’ orders?

Unforgivable.

Absolutely in need of a good lesson!

”Medusa, what kind of brainwashing did those humans feed you? You won’t even listen to us anymore…”

The tallest of the two, the eldest sister, stepped forward with graceful ease, pinching Medusa’s soft left cheek with lazily reproachful authority.

”You used to be the most afraid of humans. Now you’re standing on their side? Saying you want to protect them? Absolutely ridiculous.”

The slightly shorter second sister followed suit with a scowl, grabbing Medusa’s right cheek and twisting it harder as she muttered bitterly.

”Do you have any idea how much trouble we went through just to find you?

We drifted across the Oceanus Sea for half a month, ran into some nosy Atlantis patrols, barely shook them off, and when we finally thought we were clear, we got swept up by a monstrous wave and thrown into who-knows-where.”

”Do you know what it’s like to wake up surrounded by a pack of sea beasts?”

”I had no clue what was wrong with those idiots, they weren’t even scared of us and started chasing us nonstop!”

”And those creeps—Scylla with her six heads and twelve limbs, those freaky mermaid Sirens, and even the original Lamia form, all of them ganged up on us! And if that wasn’t enough, they dragged in an original proto-god to join the fight!”

”If we hadn’t been fast enough to escape to a nearby island, and sensed your divine energy flare up here—we’d probably be sea monster chow right now!”

”Ahem.”

Just as the second sister got more and more riled up, the eldest cleared her throat softly and gave her a long sideways glance.

Realizing she’d lost the plot, the second sister immediately zipped her mouth shut and returned to the proper tone, by pulling even harder on Medusa’s

cheek.

”Anyway, none of that’s the point! What matters is, after all the hardship we went through to find you, you have the audacity to disobey us—for the sake of humans!

That’s completely unacceptable!”

”You must be punished.”

The eldest sister’s tone remained refined and lazy, but her grip tightened mercilessly.

Soon enough, Medusa’s once-sharp little face was being kneaded into a very unfortunate puffball.

Meanwhile, behind the trees, Lorne watched the scene unfold, the corner of his eye twitching uncontrollably.

Stheino, the Woman of Strength.

Euryale, the Winged Huntress…

These last two Gorgon sisters had actually left the Isle of the Unseen, chased through the Oceanus Sea, all to drag their wayward baby sister back?

And this whole absurd string of events… sounded way too familiar.

Atlantis’s repeatedly missing elite guard units?

The naval god-war between Poseidon and Athena? The ancient beast tide sweeping in from Oceanus?

So… it was these two?

These two chaos-loving sisters… were the ones who stirred up half the disasters in the sea?!

Lorne’s temples throbbed.

Great. Just great.

We’re not just dealing with a monster anymore… we’re dealing with three.

Three Gorgons… and this time, they’re family.

The more Lorne thought about it, the more his stomach ached.

He even started to feel a tinge of sympathy for the Gorgon sisters, who, it seemed, hadn’t encountered a single good thing and had managed to step into every pitfall possible.

Of course, that was also partly because they were exceptionally unlucky, constantly getting entangled in every imaginable disaster.

Otherwise, if they hadn’t been so delayed, he and Little Medusa might never have met the beast tide—because they would’ve met these two older sisters first.

And the outcome of that meeting…

Lorne glanced at poor Medusa, who was currently being thoroughly bullied, then at the textbook villain energy radiating from her two sisters.

He smoothly ducked his head back behind the tree, silently offering a prayer for the little one.

’They might go easy on their baby sister in a ”sibling play” kind of way…

But if they found out I’m the ”egg thief”?

I doubt they’d be as forgiving.’

After all, those statues littering the Isle of the Unseen were all proof of what happened to previous victims.

Eventually, after a long round of ”discipline,” Stheno and Euryale reluctantly let go, their faces full of lingering dissatisfaction.

Stheno, having calmed a little, flicked her fingers and slipped back into her usual arrogant, commanding tone.

”Medusa. Come. You’re coming home with us.”

”I’m not going!”

Little Medusa firmly shook her head and flatly rejected her eldest sister’s command.

Stheno narrowed her eyes, her voice going cold.

”Don’t make me repeat myself, Medusa…”

”Things aren’t over yet. I’m staying here—to protect them.”

Still unmoved, Medusa stood her ground and replied with calm determination.

A subtle frown tugged at Stheno’s beautiful face as she scoffed, eyes laced with contempt.

”War between the gods… what do you think you can change?’

”Just because something seems impossible doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try!”

Medusa’s resolve did not waver.

At this moment, a blazing flame of conviction shimmered in her violet eyes.

The light of it stung, just a little—and Stheno instinctively looked away.

Then, snapping back into herself, her face darkened further.

”So you would throw yourself away… for these humans who once hunted us, slandered us?”

”Humans are complicated,”

Medusa explained patiently.

”You can’t lump them all into one category. Just like sea beasts—some are friendly, and some want to eat us.”

She turned her head toward the distant outline of Knossos beyond the forest, her young face glowing with honest joy.

”Everyone there has treated me well. I like them. That’s why I choose to fight—for them!”

Seeing her sister disobey her again, Stheno’s face twisted into something darker, more monstrous.

Divine runes flashed in her eyes—cold and merciless.

”Then what if I killed these ’humans’ you care about so much?”

There was a beat of silence.

Then Little Medusa slowly raised her head, before faint outlines of her bronze serpent armor shimmered across her body.

With unwavering clarity, she replied:

”Even if you’re my sisters… I will fight you to the end.”

Stheno and Euryale trembled with anger, their hands tightening into fists, but in the end, they merely gave a cold snort and stared silently at the rebellious little sister.

A tense standoff stretched in the clearing.

Then Medusa spoke once more, voice low but resolute.

”If there’s nothing else… I’m going. There’s a lot to do, and people are waiting for me.”

Without waiting for their response, the small figure turned on her heel and marched toward the edge of the forest.

As she vanished into the trees, the atmosphere in the clearing grew heavy.

Stheno and Euryale stood still, watching the path she’d taken, their voices barely a whisper.

”She used to be so obedient…”

”No matter how we bullied her… she never fought back…”

”And now she dares defy us…”

”…Someone must be corrupting her!”

The two sisters, minds perfectly in sync, exchanged a look, with murderous intent crackling in their eyes.

”It must be that guy who lured her off the island!”

”Should we just kill him?”

Euryale raised a hand and mimed a beheading gesture, baring her teeth in a wicked grin.

Behind a tree, Lorne’s back broke into a cold sweat.

Thankfully, the elder sister Stheno reached out just in time to stop her impulsive sibling.

But… her reasoning was anything but comforting.

”No. That would just make little Medusa angry. And if she starts ignoring us… we won’t have anything to play with.”

Lorne: …I don’t like where this is going.

Euryale, visibly frustrated, muttered:

”So we can’t kill him, can’t ignore him… And those idiots outside are saying the third beast tide is nearly here. What are we supposed to do? Just sit and watch?”

”Of course not.”

Stheno shook her head, brushing a hand over her flawless face with haughty confidence.

”Our little Medusa is just young. She doesn’t understand the fickle nature of humans.

All we need to do is expose that man’s ’true colors.’ Once she sees it for herself, she’ll understand we’re the only ones who truly care for her.

She’ll come home, back to the Isle of the Unseen—and resume the life she should’ve never left.”

Upon hearing the plan, Euryale clapped gleefully.

”Brilliant! Let him fall for our divine charms. And once we steal away what she treasures most… she’s definitely going to cry, isn’t she? Fufufu…”

As she spoke, the snake-haired monster fully revealed her malicious nature as hed eyes glowed with anticipation.

”Ugh, I can’t wait to see that face of hers!”

”Me neither. Also, Euryale… you’re absolutely radiant right now.”

”Kukuku, Stheno, you too—you’re even more beautiful than you were yesterday…”

As if rehearsed, the sisters indulged in their usual shameless mutual flattery, smiling at each other with blissful satisfaction.

Meanwhile, behind the tree, Lorne stared at the two flat-chested little gremlins plotting to seduce and destroy him, the corner of his mouth twitching subtly, his eyes growing darker.

Charm?

…So this is the game you want to play?

Fine. Let’s play.

~~

At sunset, a figure covered in grass and broken leaves appeared at Hestia’s front door.

”Where have you been?”

The stove goddess poked her head out from the kitchen, blinking in surprise at the bedraggled Lorne.

”Just out for a walk,” he replied, dusting himself off as he stepped inside.

”Also thinking about how to turn this mess around…”

Hearing that, Hestia’s expression darkened with guilt.

”I’m sorry… This whole thing was supposed to be between me and Athena—”

But Lorne’s gaze brushed past her guilty face, and his eyes glinted with something subtle, dark and tempting.

He spoke, voice low, almost conspiratorial:

”Then… do you want to help? Not just me, Athena, the Minosians, everyone?”

”Yes!”

Hestia’s eyes lit up instantly, all her previous self-doubt thrown out. She nodded so fast her hair bounced.

”Tell me! What do I need to do?!”

Lorne’s eyes roamed slowly over her lush, curvy figure.

Then, with a mysterious smile, he answered:

”Just a small… sacrifice.”

”…!”

A sudden chill ran down Hestia’s spine.

Without thinking, she hugged her chest protectively.

(End of Chapter)