After the fourth of the Twelve Labors was completed, a rare holiday continued to unfold.
But how could there be any respite for the priest who serves Artemis…
From my perspective, with tasks of the Twelve Labors still to be carried out, what was once an ordinary routine of official duties has now become a much-needed day of rest for body and mind.
After skillfully handling numerous tasks in the morning, including preparations for Artemis’s hunts,
I spent the afternoon grappling with a towering pile of civilian petitions.
But finally, I can see the end; there’s just one petition left to resolve.
“Phew… my shoulders ache. And it seems like the petitions are piling up more and more. Though, they were always numerous to begin with…”
As I stretched, I glanced at the clock hanging on the wall.
Normally, I finish handling petitions by 3 p.m., but today it took until 4.
However, I shrugged it off nonchalantly.
“After all, I’ve hired a secretary? If anything, there should be fewer tasks, not more, right?”
I whispered to myself while picking up the last petition in my solitary private office.
—”Yah! You brat, take a look at this! My name is Clepeion, and I am a trader. Hey you wretched human! When will things be sorted so I can finally visit Hera’s City? When will diplomatic relations be restored? Resolve this before I show up at your temple!”
“Hmm… I wish I could…”
Since the Golden Pen Ceremony, Hera has severed ties with our realm, City Luna.
The problem isn’t just the lengthening duration of this severance but also the increasing number of lower and middle-level deities aligning themselves with this isolation from us.
Does this mean I’ve been idle?
No, it hasn’t been like that.
I have continuously sent polite letters to Hera’s priests, accompanied by small gifts.
But they’ve been rejected and returned every time.
To resolve the trader’s concerns, it’s necessary to ease tensions with Hera,
Yet considering the various issues, normalizing relations seems far-fetched.
Taking a gray stamp from the seal box, I stamped the bottom right corner of the petition with a decisive thud.
With red ink, I wrote “Under negotiation” along with an additional note recommending focusing trade with friendly cities for the time being.
As I finished,
Knock, knock, knock.
I had just wrapped up this petition when someone knocked on my office door.
“Come in.”
“Hyah~ Has the number of petitions surpassed even that of a major city?”
Hermes walked over dramatically, exaggerating his steps as he observed the towering stack of papers on the floor.
As I bowed to greet him, my eyes first caught the bag slung over his shoulder.
“Where are you off to…?”
“Hmm, I must return to Lord Zeus.”
“Shouldn’t you spend more time with Mother?”
“I’ve been gone too long, it seems. Father finds it inconvenient without me.”
Hermes, the Messenger of the Gods, is responsible not only for delivering messages but also carrying out Zeus’s decrees.
In a sense, he is akin to the ancient royal secretariat that directly manages the royal commands.
And after ten days here,
The disruption in communication must have been dire in both Olympus and the human realm.
Upon reflection, it makes sense that he resides in the capital of the gods due to professional obligations.
“You’re always welcome to visit, Hermes.”
“Uh~ Perhaps it will be difficult for a while. Still, thank you for the kind words. Well, I’m off.”
“A! Just a moment please!”
Just as Hermes turned to leave, I called him back.
To my query, his expression suggested I still had something to discuss.
When I showed him the bracelet strapped to my left arm, his gaze instinctively fell downwards.
“Hyah~ What’s this? Isn’t it the Rainbow?”
“Indeed, you’ve recognized it.”
“Huh~ How can I forget? It’s a bow embodying the resolve of us children to live harmoniously, as our elders feud daily in Olympus.”
“Until now, I was unaware of its significance.”
I shook my left arm, transforming the bracelet into a bow, then respectfully handed it to Hermes with both hands.
Hermes looked at it as if it were a long-lost keepsake found while tidying the attic.
“It’s been a while since we last used this bow together after I blessed it with power…”
He returned the bow with an expression laced with nostalgia and melancholy.
And even without my explanation, Hermes seemed to know why I had mentioned the Rainbow.
“Thinking about it, I haven’t given any gift to Ark, the benefactor of Mother.”
With that, he snapped his finger, which glowed a brilliant yellow.
And responding to the energy, the Rainbow glowed yellow before fading once more.
A deep rumble resonated as memories of Apollo and Athena’s previous gifts imprinted in my mind.
[Yellow (Seal) – Sends a message to desired individuals or locations without being detected.]
“Sending a message without detection. This is…?”
“In the past, spies from enemy countries used arrows to secretly pass information to their own side through intermediaries. They’d jot down a set of numbers on the feathers of the arrows. Know why?”
“That number must be a code, like ‘1’ meaning war preparation or ‘6’ meaning vigilance.”
“Hyah~ You’re as sharp as ever.”
“Thank you for the compliment.”
Regardless of whether one is intelligent or not, this function was very familiar to me.
It was a common scene in historical dramas where letters were tied to arrows and launched.
“How does it feel? This should be quite useful for you.”
No explanation needed.
With my current standing, I attract the full attention and surveillance of the gods, rendering any private life nearly impossible due to shadowy servants tailing me incessantly.
This newfound ability allows me to secretly communicate my intentions to my desired target while evading their prying eyes.
A highly useful power naturally associated with Hermes, the Messenger God!
Furthermore, with Apollo’s red, Athena’s blue, and now Hermes’s yellow,
I’ve acquired three out of the seven abilities.
Frankly, when considered individually, one might think, What useless powers are these?
But as they say, even blank sheets are better when held together.
No, no.
In this case, the applications are limitless, and if used well, could even yield 200% effectiveness.
I was grateful again for Apollo’s gift of the Rainbow.
Apollo, thank you.
“Alright, I’m really going now. Take care~”
“One more word, if you may.”
“What’s up?”
“Regarding a 9th-rank secretary, I intended to save Lady Maia out of goodwill… but she has become a slave. For this, I apologize, Hermes.”
As I sincerely bowed my head in apology, Hermes frowned, tilted his head quizzically, and then burst into laughter.
Why is it so funny that his mother has fallen to slavery?
I had no choice but to wait until his laughter subsided.
“Indeed, Mother has become your 9th-rank secretary in slavery.”
“Yes, but as a slave…”
“Ark, you wouldn’t treat Mother, or anyone for that matter, as a slave, would you?”
His bright smile radiated with strong trust and confidence in me.
Just how well does he know me to have this much faith in my sincerity?
It’s almost burdensome to have such confidence placed in me.
“Of course, I will respect Lady Maia and…”
“Good. That’s all I need to hear. Then Mother is no longer a slave. And that’s why I can trust you and leave again.”
“Huh?”
“Mother… Long ago, she was treated worse than a slave by Lady Hera and her entourage. On rainy days, she’d rush outside, opening her mouth towards the sky to drink the rainwater since they wouldn’t even give her proper water.”
“Hermes…”
“In my ignorance, I’d sip my juice inside while watching Mother through the window, criticizing her for acting so foolishly. I didn’t realize she was drinking the rain and her tears out of extreme thirst.”
Hermes spoke calmly about the reason for pretending his mother was dead all those years.
His bitter smile lingered as he recalled those rainy days and slightly tilted his head upwards.
He mouthed the act of drinking rainwater like a fish several times.
A single tear welled up between his closed eyes.
He hadn’t forgotten the regrets of causing emotional pain to his mother when he was young, stabbing his own heart with sorrow.
He lowered his jaw, gazing at me seriously before continuing:
“Neither gods nor humans are defined by status. A rich man is a slave if treated as such, and a smelly beggar is a treasure if treated as one. Ark, you have a pure and clear vision of the world.”
“…”
“Surely, Lady Artemis is gradually opening up due to your perspective. In fact, all the gods are being influenced by you.”
“I’ll remember that.”
“Hmm. All beings naturally gravitate towards the brightest light. Of course, there are those who hate the light and try to extinguish it.”
Hermes, who usually avoids such statements, rubbed his nose awkwardly, showing embarrassment at speaking tender words.
Nevertheless, there was more he needed to say, as his eyes wouldn’t stay still, making me feel slightly uneasy as well.
“Please feel free to speak.”
“Gee, thank you, Ark, for saving Mother. Though she’s spent her life in slavery, she’s not the type to be defeated by it. Please let her work without trouble.”
Thank-you words aren’t easy, not even for Artemis.
Reflecting on this, perhaps I’m the first person some gods have felt the need to thank.
“Yes. However, there’s one correction I must make.”
“Huh? What’s that?”
“Perhaps she won’t be a slave for life.”
“What…? It’s impossible since Father disapproves of her, right?”
“Ho ho ho. Yes, if it were Lord Zeus, then no.”
Hermes tilted his head curiously, question marks appearing above his head.
But I didn’t answer his unspoken query and merely chuckled lightly.
Because one day, Artemis will rise as the one true goddess and come again to save Maia.
Shouldn’t the drama of such astonishment be seen firsthand rather than spoiled by pre-disclosure!?
