After a brief discussion, the magical world's strategy was decided just like that.
First, they would stabilize the situation within Britain and then observe how events developed.
Once they had finished discussing those matters, Rowena, Helga, and Rhys quickly exchanged glances.
They felt it was time to talk about something more interesting.
"Professor Dumbledore, how old are you this year?" Helga was the first to raise the topic.
Dumbledore raised an eyebrow.
He keenly sensed something unusual in the air.
Could it be...?
"I'll be 114 this July," Dumbledore replied in a relatively calm tone, suppressing the excitement rising inside him.
All four were startled.
They knew Dumbledore was old, but they had not expected him to be this old.
No wonder his influence within the Ministry was gradually declining. He was simply far too elderly.
For all they knew, the Ministry and the Daily Prophet might already have his obituary prepared in advance.
At his age, he truly should not be enduring such intense work pressure.
"Being Headmaster of Hogwarts must be extremely stressful," Rowena said softly.
Dumbledore immediately understood what she meant, and his eyes lit up.
The reason he had remained Headmaster of Hogwarts all these years had been because he had no choice.
Tom Riddle had always lurked in the shadows like a venomous snake, threatening Hogwarts' safety. That had made Dumbledore unwilling to entrust the position of Headmaster to anyone else.
None of the school's professors were a match for Tom.
So the old man himself had been forced to shoulder the burden.
As the years passed and he gradually aged, Dumbledore had also grown increasingly uneasy.
He feared that once he died, there would be no one left capable of restraining the man who had fallen into darkness.
Now, however, that anxiety had completely disappeared.
Once he stepped down, there would still be Godric, Professor White, and Professor Aries.
After those two came Rhys Lint.
Hogwarts' succession of powerful wizards was extremely healthy.
If nothing else, if Rhys Lint truly was as young as he appeared, Hogwarts would not have to worry about lacking top-level combat power for the next seventy years.
The only reason Dumbledore had not yet retired was the sudden invasion from the Underworld.
He had needed to remain in his position and use the immense prestige he had accumulated over a century to steady people's hearts.
Now that they had brought up the subject themselves, it meant they were already prepared.
It was time to hand over the position of Headmaster.
So Dumbledore immediately followed Professor Aries's lead.
"The pressure of the job truly is enormous. To tell you the truth, if not for the Underworld situation, I would've submitted my resignation at the end of the school year."
Standing nearby, Godric's expression immediately became solemn.
He knew disaster was about to befall him.
Instinctively, he tried to resist his "fate."
"Given how urgent the situation is, Professor Dumbledore, perhaps you should still..."
"I should still hand the position of Headmaster to someone with greater prestige."
Dumbledore heard the hint of retreat in Gryffindor's voice and decisively cut him off before he could finish.
"You, Godric Gryffindor, Founder of Hogwarts, one of the greatest wizards in magical history, a legend from a thousand years ago, are undoubtedly the best possible candidate.
"I believe you will certainly be able to lead the teachers and students of Hogwarts safely through the current Underworld crisis and guide Hogwarts toward an even more prosperous future.
"Professor White, Professor Aries, what do the two of you think of this choice?"
"Excellent."
"Absolutely perfect!"
Helga, Rowena, and Rhys immediately picked up where Dumbledore left off and began showering Godric with praise.
"The greatest of the Four Founders."
"The embodiment of courage."
"The greatest hymn to humanity is a hymn to courage."
All kinds of compliments poured out as though they cost nothing.
Their goal was singular.
They intended to force Godric onto the Headmaster's throne.
Godric stared at them dumbfounded.
He had never expected events to develop in this direction.
He knew that with his three good friends around, he would probably become Headmaster of Hogwarts sooner or later.
But he had not even been resurrected for half an hour, and they were already selecting him as Headmaster.
Wasn't this a little too fast?
Godric wanted to say something, but Rhys and the other two gave him no opportunity.
The three subtly formed a U-shape around him, trapping Godric in the middle and pushing him toward the staff table in the Great Hall.
Once they reached it, Rhys grabbed Godric by the arm and pulled him in front of the chair at the very center of the long table, the one Dumbledore had previously occupied.
Helga and Rowena seized Godric's shoulders from either side and forcibly pressed him down into the chair symbolizing the position of Headmaster.
Rhys glanced at Dumbledore.
Dumbledore immediately understood.
He announced loudly to Gryffindor, "The Board of Governors has already agreed. You will be the Headmaster of Hogwarts! From this moment onward, you are the current Headmaster of Hogwarts. We'll complete the formalities afterward."
The instant Godric heard those words, his expression collapsed.
With a miserable face, he turned toward his three old friends.
"You three have truly ruined me!"
Those words came straight from the heart.
They were absolutely Godric's genuine feelings.
He sincerely did not want to become Headmaster of Hogwarts, especially while all three of his old friends were still around.
Back in their era, sitting in this position would have gotten him laughed at by the others!
But Rhys and the rest did not care.
They simply began enthusiastically discussing when they should publicly announce the change of Headmaster.
...
At the same time Godric became Headmaster of Hogwarts, the Muggle world was also entering a period of immense upheaval.
A small group of Greek government officials fled to the United States and established a Greek government-in-exile in New York.
Not long afterward, the United States officially classified the actions of the Olympian gods as an invasion.
At that time, the United States had only recently achieved a decisive victory in the Gulf War, and its international prestige was at its peak.
Greece was also a member of NATO.
So within an extremely short time, an enormous military force was assembled.
Its objective was simple.
Kill the gods.
In truth, Muggles were generally rather optimistic.
They believed that times had changed, technology had advanced, and the so-called Greek gods had long since been swept into the dustbin of history.
It was time to teach those arrogant beings a lesson.
On the very day Godric was resurrected, the Security Council passed a resolution setting July 1, 1995, as the deadline for the ancient Greek gods to withdraw from Greece and authorized the use of "all necessary means to implement Resolution 660," diplomatic language authorizing military force.
That evening, exploratory negotiations between U.S. Secretary of State Baker, ambassadors from various nations, and the ancient Greek gods collapsed.
At that point, war became inevitable.
The participating nations assembled more than one million troops, over 3,000 tanks, 6,000 armored vehicles, 1,940 combat aircraft, 247 warships, and 9 aircraft carriers.
Their goal was to flatten Mount Olympus in a single overwhelming campaign.
Inside the temple atop Mount Olympus, Zeus, King of the Gods, smiled when he received the news.
"We have slept for too long. So long that mortals have forgotten the majesty of the gods."
He rose from the supreme throne as lightning flickered across his palm.
"Then allow me to help them remember."
____
12 Chaps ahead at Patreon.com/HornyFBI