Chapter 198 - Ancient Celtic God (1/2)

“We went to the cargo hold after that, but we didn’t see you there until everyone gathered on the deck. What were you doing when you were alone?” asked Anne.

“Betty brought me to the stern. She told me that she had something to show me.”

“And what would that be?” asked Zhang Heng.

“A gift.”

“A gift?”

“She told me that she’s an ancient Celtic god. She also told me that she has the power to control the weather on the ocean! Apparently, I would be granted a portion of her divine powers if I chose to worship her!”

Seth hesitated and took out a seashell from his pocket. Zhang Heng took it from Seth and started to examine it. Judging by its exterior, it was no different than the white shell that he saw on the beach. Suddenly, he received a notification from the system. Zhang Heng instantly knew then that he must be holding a supernatural game item.

[Betty’s Shell (Unidentified)]

After knowing the item’s name, Zhang Heng still couldn’t figure out what its effect was. Seth had mentioned about an ancient Celtic god. Celtic mythology was one of the three major European mythological systems, juxtaposed to Greek and Northern European mythology. In the ancient days, the Celtics were not a single race but rather, a band made up of different ethnicities. According to history, these various groups were bought together by similar cultures and languages. They were also one of the earlier civilizations that had expertise in the use of iron tools. Other than that, most were equipped with the knowledge to build their own houses.

The Seine in eastern France, the upper streams of Loire, the Rhine in southeastern Germany, and the upper stream of the Danube River were the birthplaces of the Celtics. They penetrated Europe and expanded swiftly, forming a tribe. They could be even found across the Alps. During that period, they were known as warriors, merchants, blacksmiths, poets, and artists. It was said that they could be seen modern France, Spain, Portugal, and other European countries.

When the Roman Empire rose, Caesar seized Gaul, the Celtic’s cultural center, and in the process, killed over a million of them. That was the reason why Celtic culture started to disappear across entire Europe. Many of their legendary tales were lost, explaining why Celtic mythology wasn’t as popular as Greek and Northern European mythology.

The only legendary tale of the Celtics that was passed from generation to generation was the story of Arthur, the king, and his sword that was stuck in a stone. Zhang Heng wasn’t familiar with Celtic mythology as well. His father had studied Greek and Northern European mythologies in college, and his mother studied Christian mythology. When he was still a kid, his parents had told him many tales of Greek, Northern European, and Christian mythologies. Hence, Zhang Heng was unfamiliar with the name, Betty, that was mentioned in the poetry book.

“She told you to worship her, right? How are you supposed to do that?”

“I… I have no idea. Supposedly, I would first need to pass a test. She told me to look for the three notebooks before letting me know the next step.”

“Hmph! Are you still trying to lie to us?!”

Anne was extremely displeased about Seth’s attempt to tell them another tall tale. In frustration, she pushed her dagger closer to his throat.

“The storm that we faced earlier had something to do with you, right?” asked Anne.

“As the captain of the Jackdaw, I’m willing to put aside all everything that you have done but I need you to be honest with me. You have to tell me what you have done to our ship. You saw what happened to the carrack, right? I don’t think you want to see every single pirate from the Jackdaw disappearing without a trace, right?”