After hearing my goal of becoming the sky,
Athena asked no questions or pursued the matter further.
Even though she clearly understood the implications of what I meant.
“Our mother has been asking if there really is a palace under the sea after reading a fairy tale book yesterday. It seems I’ll take her to see the ocean this time.”
She seemed to be trying to change the subject, talking about wanting to travel here and there with her mother, and was making small talk about everyday matters.
Click.
The door opened cautiously, and one of her priests appeared, looking haggard as if distressed by something, and paid his respects.
“Athena-sama.”
“What is it?”
“Could I borrow your ear for a moment…?”
Because of the female priest who had come seeking her, Athena finally got up from her chair.
“I’m sorry, Ark. My mother is calling again.”
“No, it’s fine. You should go quickly. It will take some time for her to adapt, so Athena-sama needs to assist quite a bit at this time.”
Metis, who had been trapped in Zeus’s body for thousands of years, was like a chick that had just hatched from its egg.
Rather, was she not a chick, but a full-grown chicken?
Anyway, it would take time to adjust to this greatly changed world.
For now, Athena would have to take on the role of Metis’s mother, explaining new things and helping her to accept them easily.
“Yeah. I’d like to talk to you more, but… there’s nothing to be done.”
“It’s okay. I’ll send another letter when I return to the temple.”
“Good, you must do that, Ark. I’ve loaded three wagons with horse meat for your trip back, so go and eat your fill.”
Horse meat, the famous delicacy of Athena’s city!
As expected, she’s the only one who truly takes care of me.
“Thank you. This time, I think I’ll try cooking the horse meat medium-well. I saw Nike at the festival using high-quality wine to marinate and cook the meat, and I’d like to try that as well.”
“Good. If you need more help, just let me know anytime.”
“Yes.”
She rose to see me off.
Then Athena whispered something in the ear of the female priest and sent her out first.
Reaching for the doorknob of the library, she paused, pulling her arm back.
Suddenly, she turned around as if she had forgotten something, locking her gaze on my face.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Close your eyes quickly!”
Her voice, always gentle until now, rang out like a teacher suddenly scolding a favorite student, making me instinctively shut my eyes tight.
The last thing I saw before closing my eyes was Athena’s face—like an angel torn from a watercolor painting—turning slightly red, beautiful and pure.
“Hmm…”
Indeed, it was dark with my eyes closed.
But it was a different darkness compared to when I faced death while wandering through a dark alleyway, unable to recall the solution to the sixth labor.
No, this was a comfortable darkness, full of light and hope, like being in a mother’s womb.
I swallowed dryly, and I could feel her breath getting closer to my face.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Through her touch, I could feel my own heartbeat.
A large, deep thud like waking up to the sound of a clock’s hands in the middle of a summer night.
Thump. Thump.
Thump!
“Ho ho ho. Ark, even I, who have stood on many battlefields, have never heard such a strong heartbeat.”
It was true; my heart was racing more than usual, imagining how strange and embarrassing it was to keep my eyes closed while her face was so close to mine.
But just as I was about to argue that it wasn’t just my heartbeat, Athena, perhaps agreeing that it wasn’t a wrong statement, fixed her face close to mine by holding my cheeks with both hands.
“Hmm~”
Then Athena, with a voice filled with resolve, moved even closer.
Her left hand moved from my cheek up toward my eyebrows.
Due to Athena’s gentle touch, my overgrown bangs were blown back, and a warm breeze grazed across my forehead.
In the spot where the breeze had passed, her soft, moist lips now rested.
Startled, I flinched, but I didn’t step back because her blue aura, symbolizing Athena herself, had already begun to circulate through my body, searching thoroughly.
“Ark, by touching your rough face, I understand now. I understand how hard you’ve fought to survive in this world and in those trials…”
Her touch was one of understanding and empathy.
Then, against my will, my memories came flooding back as a panorama of all the hardships I endured in this other world.
Tears began to leak out from between my tightly shut eyelids, and unexpectedly, a feeling of deep comfort enveloped my chest while at the same time I felt a fierce pang as if she was squeezing my heart with both hands.
“Athena-sama…”
As her touch gradually left my face, I opened my eyes without realizing it.
But all I could see was Athena, who had already turned her back to me, and she opened the library door again.
Athena, who had stepped out and opened the door wide to leave, turned her head slightly:
“You’re the first man to receive my blessing, Ark.”
“It’s an honor, Athena-sama.”
“Not really. It’s you who uniquely understood my inner thoughts and helped me achieve my lifelong dream. What I’ve done is far from too extravagant.”
“Hahaha, what are you saying? If there’s something I can do, it’s not something Athena-sama couldn’t achieve herself, right? I just gave you a little push, that’s all.”
“Someone who doesn’t know that method… well, no, there are quite a few gods and humans alike. Even so, since I am the Goddess of Wisdom…”
“The Goddess of Wisdom herself showed me the way, so now everyone must have realized it. That’s something only Athena-sama could do.”
“Ho ho ho.”
With a warm chuckle, she turned her body back toward me.
Then Athena, leaving another kiss on my forehead, with a somewhat embarrassed smile,
“Thank you for rescuing my mother, Ark. You’re my savior.”
left those words and disappeared from the library in the blink of an eye.
In the place where she had been, a cool breeze remained,
and as I swept my bangs back with the coolness of that breeze, putting my hand instinctively on my forehead, I felt not only Athena’s blessing but also her warmth.
“From now on, I wish for nothing but happiness… Athena.”
*
After speed-reading three days’ worth of newspapers at the library, I headed to my next destination.
The destination was none other than Hades’s guest room.
It was a rare opportunity to form a connection.
I wanted to have a short conversation with Hades if possible, or at least see him off before he left.
This seed of connection might wither without knowing the light of the sun, or it could sprout, grow, and bear fruit—none of us could predict it.
Still, as the saying goes, “Do everything humanly possible and wait on fate.”
Even a small chance can be increased by giving it water and attention.
Knock, knock, knock.
“Lord Hades. This is Ark of Artemis.”
After introducing myself by knocking on his door,
he gave a curt answer inviting me in.
I carefully opened the door, bowed deeply upon entering, and while keeping my head low, swiftly scanned the guest room with only my eyes.
All in all, the room was barren.
There wasn’t even a bed, something you’d find in even the cheapest inns, out of principle.
During the scan, I finally made eye contact with Hades, who asked,
“Why are you snooping around like a rat?”
“A… I apologize! I was wondering if Lady Persephone was here…”
“…She’s governing the Underworld. I only came here as the representative of the Underworld for the victory celebration.”
“Oh, I see…”
Hades, who had packed all his belongings into a small bag, pulled a chair with his leg and sat down across from me.
“As I’ve answered your curiosity, it’s your turn to answer mine.”
“Gladly, ask anything, Lord.”
Though it was obvious what he was curious about, I didn’t rush to ask.
“Why did the soda contents burst out like a waterfall all of a sudden?”
“It’s due to carbonation.”
“Carbonation?”
“Yes. The principle is simple. When you shake the soda, the carbon dioxide inside gains kinetic energy, and the gases that were dissolved in the liquid escape. If you open the lid in that state, the gas bubbles try to get out through the narrow opening, causing the contents to gush out.”
“…?”
When I noticed he had no reaction, I looked at Hades’ face.
It was an expression that clearly signaled he didn’t understand a word of what I said.
“It’s like if you have 100 healthy men filling a small guest room, and someone farts. Then, if the previously locked door opens all at once, what will happen?”
“I see.”
“May your curiosity be resolved.”
“Hmm, good. …Ark, it seems you have a habit of unnecessarily complicating what should be a simple explanation. You should fix that.”
“…Yes.”
“Is this my fault?”
If there’s someone out there who can explain principles as detailed as I do—let them step up and show us!
Hades, who seemed to have had his itch scratched, summoned his scythe of the Underworld and slashed the air.
The cut-open space blossomed like a flower in full bloom.
Anyone could tell at a glance that the black portal was undoubtedly the gate to the Underworld, so I took a few cautious steps back, fearing any stray sparks.
“We will meet again.”
Though his greeting was warm, the moment his body was halfway into the black portal, I felt a little shiver run down my spine.
The ruler of the Underworld saying he wants to see you again…
Isn’t that similar to a doctor saying, “Please come visit us again”?
In life, there are certain people you hope not to meet regularly, and doctors surely rank high on that list.
Here in this world, meeting Hades would take precedence over even doctors for that distinction.
Because it implies long life to avoid meeting him.
But there is one condition where you can meet either doctors or Hades without any worries:
“Of course, Lord Hades. I only hope we don’t meet in the Underworld.”
Exactly.
Location.
Any place except the Underworld—I welcome any visit from him.
It’s not that I’m afraid of Hades himself but rather the thought of meeting him in the Underworld that’s troubling—certainly not a casual rendezvous sipping coffee at a café in Luna city.
“Ho! I always thought you were intelligent, but I didn’t expect you to also have a talent for bland jokes.”
Hades, whose expression never changes, left behind a small smirk as his final impression as he returned to the Underworld.
The moment his body disappeared into the portal, the black passage swirled and vanished into the air.
“Phew… Hera and Dionysus remain?”
Now, in the aftermath of the victory celebration, only these final encounters remain.
