It was naturally impossible for Poseidon to conceal the news of the Atlanteans' defeat, so the news quickly spread back to Atlantis, along with the sea god's punishment.
Within just a few days, many people mysteriously disappeared from all three social strata of Atlantis, and even three of the remaining nine kings were replaced.
However, the wrath of the sea god Poseidon was mainly directed at the cleansing of the upper and middle classes and had little to do with the common people of the lower class. Moreover, the sea god's wrath came and went quickly. After the royal family selected a beautiful princess to be offered as a sacrifice, Poseidon's anger quickly subsided.
For the lower-class people of Atlantis, what was truly important was the prophecy that the bards had spoken in the taverns a while ago. Although at the time, no one took seriously what he said about "angels" and "demons," their prophecy had now come true.
Atlantis, which had the protection of the sea god and the strongest fleet in the world, actually lost a war to a group of slaves who had just been freed from their masters. Even with the help of those one hundred and fifty Spartans, such a thing was unbelievable to the Atlanteans, who were accustomed to pride.
Thus, the people living in the lower class couldn't help but begin to ponder the truthfulness of what the bards had said.
"Could it be that it was all true?"
These Atlantean commoners discussed in groups of three or five during their leisure time from work:
"If Poseidon is truly a god, then why was our army, which he protects, defeated by others?"
The rapid spread of these rumors was actually Poseidon's own undoing. He had always harbored a dream of "he can take his place" regarding his brother. Therefore, in Atlantis, his own reserved territory where no other gods could interfere, Poseidon's propaganda of his faith was much more rampant than in the outside world.
In the myths circulated among the Atlanteans, Poseidon was practically the King of the Gods. When he went out, Zeus and Hades had to show him respect, Ares and Apollo had to pull his chariot, Hephaestus had to carefully forge for him, and every so often, he would present his works to please him.
As for the beautiful goddesses on Olympus, they were more like Poseidon's three thousand concubines. Whether it was Hera or Demeter, compared to their original husband Zeus, they seemed to favor Poseidon more in their hearts. Some Atlantean myths even explicitly stated that these two goddesses were Poseidon's favored concubines, and that Poseidon would share a bed with them, while Zeus, as their husband, could only squat at the door, keeping watch for them while shedding tears in the wind...
In short, the sea god myths circulating in Atlantis were a collection of Poseidon's fantasies. In these myths, he had become an omnipotent, omniscient, and ever-present supreme Heavenly God. But now, his bluff had been mercilessly exposed by Ares and Athena. When faith collapsed, a storm of doubt followed.
For a time, the entire lower stratum of Atlantis was shrouded in gossip. In every street and alley, any Atlantean who had been to a tavern and heard the bards' prophecies gathered together, whispering and observing the nobles and royalty who came to the lower class with strange looks.
Of course, they haven't caused a riot yet, because they are still waiting for the Spartan bards to come out and make an "official explanation."
"Sigh, that Ares fellow is getting more and more arrogant lately. He keeps throwing these troublesome matters to me. Does he even understand who the teacher is?"
Within the Underworld, Moon Goddess Hecate sat on a soft chair in her magic workshop, gazing at the mid-air in front of her. There were countless light screens formed by condensed magic, displaying various scenes within Atlantis.
When she saw that rumors about "angels" had begun to circulate in the streets and alleys of the lower class of Atlantis, Hecate cleared her throat, then looked behind her and instructed:
"You may proceed."
After her words fell, behind Hecate, four tall mechanical deities, five or six meters in height, slowly raised their heads. Accompanied by a humming, heavy sound, the magic furnaces within their bodies activated, and red light emanated from the eyes of these mechanical gods.
Subsequently, a pair of huge steel wings unfolded behind them. At that instant, it seemed as if countless intricate circuit-like magic patterns spread out from their wings, extending throughout the entire world.
At the same time, the Spartan bards, who had received instructions from Ares, also set out again. In the evening, they went to the taverns they had visited before to begin the next phase of their plan.
They first played a few tunes, deliberately teasing the Atlantean commoners' appetites. Once these people began to impatiently urge them to quickly speak about the angels, the bards deliberately acted a bit reluctant and demanded that these commoners keep it a secret. Then, they cleared their throats and began to slowly narrate, accompanied by the sound of their instruments:
"Do you know which angels caused Poseidon's defeat this time?"
The Atlantean commoners shook their heads in cooperation:
"No."
"There were a total of four angels who came this time."
The bard gently plucked the strings, his voice melodious:
"The first angel is named Conquest. He wears a crown and holds a longbow. He is accompanied by a white horse. When he comes among the Athenians and Spartans, the Spartans and Athenians will be victorious again and again."
"The second angel is named War. God granted him authority and gave him a great sword. He rides a red steed and can take peace from the world, causing people to kill each other. When he came to the earth, the War between Atlantis and Athens began."
"The third angel is named Famine. He rides a black horse and holds a balance in his hand. When he came to the earth, the food of the Atlanteans was taken away, the soldiers were terrified, and their morale collapsed for a thousand miles."
"Next, is the fourth angel." At this point, the bard paused to catch his breath before continuing:
"This angel has a green horse, named Death. He is the leader among these four angels, and Hades follows him. Therefore, he has divinely bestowed authority to take the lives of the Atlanteans with the sword, Famine, Plague, and wild beasts."
"Oh—" After listening to the bard, the Atlanteans present gasped, and then someone else asked:
"Then who is the god? Which god sent the four angels this time to defeat the demon Poseidon?"
"God is God. He is omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent, and no adjective can describe him."
The bard stopped playing his instrument, thought quietly for a moment, and then said:
"However, if you wish to revere him, you may call him Lord of Armies, Mars."