Sinclair and I returned to the temple after crossing over the mountain peak together.
On the way back, Sinclair was becoming increasingly irritated as the new dress she had bought kept getting caught on tree branches,
Her whining and muttering was just like our Goddess, a perfect replica.
Before I knew it, we had reached the temple after I half-heartedly dealt with her complaints.
The temple, both inside and out, was unusually quiet.
Not a single sound could be heard while walking down the corridors.
When I found Maia in the office handling tasks on her own and asked her about it,
She informed me that Artemis had gone with her priestesses to hunt for deer.
“Deer symbolize Artemis, and yet she’s going to hunt them? It’s almost like self-harm…”
“Not killing them. Apparently, it’s about capturing one to present to Lady Athena.”
“Ah~”
I immediately recalled the steel temple’s courtyard behind Athena’s shrine.
While the shrine’s rear was packed with weaponries, it also had a space where flowers bloomed and small animals coexisted.
There, a small deer would surely please Athena and live well under her care.
Also,
Soon, a victory commemoration ceremony will be held in Athens, Athena’s major five cities.
And it will be an enormous commemoration, unlike any previous events.
Of course, the reason is only one.
The return of Metis.
Metis, who had been trapped in Zeus’s body, will officially manifest in the world in front of everyone.
For Athena, it’s the day she meets her mother, whom she has longed for thousands of years.
She will definitely not let this commemoration be taken lightly.
So it seems, as they added more elements, the scale of the commemoration itself grew enormously.
And from Artemis’s perspective, giving anything less than an extraordinary present would be spitting on her own face,
So she plans to offer this deer, raised in this holy mountain, as a tribute.
Her alter ego—practically her own reflection.
There’s no greater gift than this.
“Almost forgot about the Twelve Labors in all the fuss about gifts.”
“Mm? Are you planning to give Lady Athena a present too, Ark?”
“Yes. She’s given me so much help, after all. How about you, Maia?”
“Call me ‘older sister,’ will you?”
“Aha… Yes, Older Sister.”
“Hmm. Anyway, I suppose I should too. Nothing fancy, though. But… who’s that behind you?”
Maia tilted her head slightly and peered past me at Sinclair, who seemed bewildered by everything.
Upon catching her gaze, Sinclair froze with panic, looking utterly at a loss.
“Uh-Uh-Um…”
All the fierce attitude she showed when speaking with me was gone, leaving a mere broken machine in its place.
Seeing her quiver like that, I decided to introduce her.
“This is Sinclair. She’s the one who informed us about the carbonated spring in the logging village.”
“Ah~ But why did you bring her to the temple?”
At Maia’s cold question, I was momentarily taken aback, unsure of what to say.
Maia, usually a benevolent deity who would never turn anyone away empty-handed—was she upset about something?
“Ark?”
“Ah! Cough… That, she says she came to check the results since their lives depend on the carbonated spring.”
After rushing me for an answer, Maia seemed to only half-listen.
Instead, her sharp eyes scrutinized Sinclair, who was now cowering behind me, from head to toe.
Singclair, who had retreated like a mouse before a cat, murmured,
“Eeeek…”
All the vigor she displayed around me had vanished, turning her into nothing more than a pretty backdrop in front of the goddess.
Is this…
The rumored ranking through women’s intimidation tactics?
“Hmm~ Well, Ark’s intentions make sense, but it seems this might backfire?”
“Huh?”
“No, never mind. Anyway…”
Maia’s sentence abruptly stopped when the temple gates creaked open, the sound carrying all the way to the office.
Hearing it, we promptly headed toward the temple hall to greet Artemis.
“Do I really need to come?”
“Isn’t it obvious?”
Sinclair, who had been shrinking since entering the temple, wanted to stay behind in the office,
But I reluctantly dragged her along to the hall.
When we arrived, Artemis was already resting with about twenty priestesses around her,
Among them, her posture—holding onto the deer’s forelegs with both her hands, hoisting it across her back like a soldier carrying an injured comrade—was notably impressive.
Upon spotting us, Artemis grinned and approached.
“Maia, look at what I caught. This little thing tried to hide behind the waterfall, but I grabbed it by the neck with just one hand! Hahahaah”
“Amazing, Lady Artemis! With its beautiful back patterns and small horns, it resembles a flower deer!”
“That’s right. Even though a big deer would suit the image of Big Sister Athena, this flower deer isn’t so bad either!”
“Absolutely! Since it carries your affection, it’s sure to win Lady Athena’s favor.”
“Kyheeheehee, you’re right, aren’t you?”
Maia…
She’s at the master level of social skills.
She sticks closely to Artemis, who’s bragging about her own achievements, skillfully selecting exactly the words that Artemis wants to hear.
And who wouldn’t love Maia?
I had noticed recently that these two were spending more time together, their chemistry growing stronger,
But I never expected Maia to be this adept at handling Artemis so smoothly.
“Hey, Ark, did you also notice? Its legs were trembling so much… Huh?”
Artemis, caught up in her excitement, paused midsentence when she noticed Sinclair cowering behind me.
Her expression darkened immediately, and she dropped the deer as if it were a sack of potatoes.
She then strode up, pushed me aside, and pointed at Sinclair.
“Hey, what’s your business here?”
“Ah…”
Sinclair, now receiving wary stares from the goddesses and priestesses alike, froze and could not produce a reply.
“Artemis, Sinclair came out of curiosity, wanting to know the results of the new drink.”
“Can’t she speak for herself? Why are you answering for her?”
“Uh? No, it’s just—”
Pitying Sinclair’s pitiful appearance, I attempted to answer for her again.
But this intervention seemed to have the opposite effect,
And Artemis was now on the verge of losing her temper.
“And what’s with that dress? Do you think I saved you just so you could indulge in vanity?”
“…”
Sinclair remained like a sinner, fully conscious of her insolence of speaking rudely to a goddess.
I understand her discomfort, of course,
But there was another reason why I brought Sinclair here.
“Artemis, I—”
“Come, come, Lady Artemis? Would you like to take a bath first? Meanwhile, Ark says he has a new drink to show you.”
Maia, who had been observing the situation, interjected.
With a subtle wink to me, she gently guided Artemis toward the bathroom.
With Maia and Artemis absent,
The priestesses slowly returned to their previous positions, leaving Sinclair and me alone in the vast hall.
“Phew… Why does trouble keep finding you?”
“I- did I know what would happen? I thought I was going to die!”
As soon as the tigers were gone, and the fox recovered, Sinclair began to speak up.
Frustrated about the situation, I pinched the bridge of my nose, pondering how to resolve this mess.
“I had something I wanted to entrust to you, but with this state, I’m not sure if it’ll work.”
“What- what is it?”
“First, you need to pass the soda test. Follow me.”
I led Sinclair to the dining kitchen.
After laying out the seven soda recipes on the table, I began to concoct the soda based on the most delicious combination I remembered, No. 399.
“Watch and learn.”
Sinclair stuck closely to my side, observing carefully.
Once completed, we carried the soda sample to the reception room and knocked on the door.
At the invitation, we entered, our gaze fixed on the podium.
There, Artemis, her hair still damp with moisture, was being assisted by her priestesses to dry her hair.
As the priestess began combing her hair, Artemis started dozing off, nodding to sleep.
I approached with the tray and handed her the soda.
“They call it soda. It’s made with sparkling water, lemon juice, and sugar.”
“Lemon, sugar—those are common… What makes the kick? You said, carbonated water?”
“Uh-huh. Try it.”
“Hmm~ sounds good.”
Without hesitation, she took the cup in both her hands and brought it to her lips.
Glug, glug.
“Ah—huh!!!”
With a single gulp, the slumbering Artemis’s eyes suddenly popped wide open.
She set the cup down only after finishing it all.
“Whew~! Cough!”
Realizing her enthusiastic reaction might have been a little unbecoming, Artemis covered her mouth with her hand.
She then spoke, her eyes shining brightly, looking up at me.
“Ahhh, Ark!”
“Yup, how’s it taste?”
Artemis gazed dreamily into the now-empty cup.
“The fizz bursts perfectly as it complements the citrus zest and sugar, creating a unique flavor. And this refreshing aftertaste that clears your mouth is absolutely top-notch!”
“Great, glad you liked it.”
“Give me more!”
That was the end of my taste test—Artemis’ verdict was exactly what I’d hoped for.
To have her drain the plate clean and ask for more is the highest praise that cannot be traded for anything.
And as soon as I refilled her cup, she emptied it just as quickly, with a longing gaze mimicking a desperate cat.
“This is really good! I’ve never had a drink like this before!”
“Take as much as you like; I’ve got plenty.”
I placed a large oak barrel filled with soda beside her podium.
The soda is a success.
Artemis’ taste test guarantees that.
Good.
Now it’s time to tackle the sixth labor.
Through this soda,
I need to embarrass Dionysus and make Hades laugh.
To achieve that, urgently I will need the help of Sinclair and the loggers.
It’s time to call in the favor I granted her.
