Chapter 38

I walked out of the waiting room and boldly ascended the stage, looking around at the audience.

The venue, resembling a scallop shell, was similar in form to university theater districts.

A 180-degree semicircular, tiered seating arrangement overlooked the central stage.

The Twelve Chief Gods, along with numerous other deities, filled the seats, savoring wine and food,

all while showing keen interest in Ark, who had stepped onto the stage.

This was serious.

The tension I had thought had disappeared entirely began to grow again like weeds.

Furthermore, the gazes the gods were sending my way were filled with various colors,

a look of intrigue,

a look of favor,

even a look of hatred.

It felt as though these powerful gazes, sharp like needles, would pierce straight through my heart.

Like how focusing sunlight with a magnifying glass can burn a hole in paper.

“Oh~ The gaze of the gods is burning me.”

At that moment, Hermes, who was in charge of hosting, approached with a gem-encrusted Caduceus held near my chin, his face beaming.

His voice had carried clearly during conversations backstage, so it was apparent this staff was amplifying sound like a microphone.

“Ark, the priest. I hear you’ve been quite the troublemaker lately, creating all kinds of hot events around Olympus. How does it feel to have the undivided attention of the gods?”

“I thank the benevolent ones for this attention.”

“Some have started calling you either a troublemaker or a superstar. What are your thoughts on that?”

“It is too much praise. I am merely a humble priest serving under Lady Artemis.”

Given the formal setting, I made sure to deflect any praise by passing it onto others and kept myself humble.

Despite my intentions, Hermes gave me a knowing smile, clearly intent on pulling Lady Artemis’ name out of me.

“Isn’t it true that Ark the priest seeks to become the official partner of Artemis by completing certain tasks?”

“That is correct.”

“There’s one thing I’m personally curious about—what is it about Artemis that attracted you?”

As expected, questions linking me to Artemis followed swiftly.

For an answer that would get approval, I thought to say something like,

“She’s the most beloved woman to me.”

Or,

“Being with her makes me incredibly happy.”

This would have sufficed.

But who am I?

Am I the kind of person to just let things slide? No, I’m Ark, the type who always gets his revenge.

And it’s not like I discriminate even against my girlfriend.

Artemis!

What’s the big deal about being a thief who steals happy endings?

How dare you humiliate me as your boyfriend right in front of the gate?

Heh heh heh.

Artemis noticed the evil smirk on my face and became restless, glancing around warily.

“Regarding the aspect of Lady Artemis that captured my heart…”

“CAPTURED YOUR HEART???”

“It’s her tendency to raise a fuss and create mayhem.”

“ROFL!!!”

“HO HO HO HO~”

The audience, who knew Artemis’ character well, laughed so hard that some even shed tears.

A few choked on their wine, causing a coughing fit as a result.

From my position, two gods stood out—Ares and Apollo, seated on either side of Artemis.

Ares was clutching his stomach, laughing loudly, while Apollo tried to suppress his laughter, mindful of his sister next to him.

Amidst these varying expressions of amusement, Artemis sat with her face redder than a red-hot iron, glaring at me like she wanted to eat me alive.

Though I couldn’t understand what she was muttering in my direction due to the laughter of the gods around her,

with my single year of priesthood training, I could guess she likely said something like,

“You’ll see when we get back to the temple.”

“However!”

Seizing Hermes’ Caduceus, I stepped forward onto the stage.

Looking at Artemis seated in the front row, I declared,

“Being with her never gets old. My heart skips a beat thinking about what might happen tomorrow.”

“…”

“…”

An unexpected rollercoaster confession followed.

The laughter of the gods which had surged like a tide slowly ebbed away.

For a short time, silence filled the air as the gods watched me attentively with a mix of curiosity.

Suddenly, someone began clapping their hands, and soon everyone joined in, applauding my statement.

It wasn’t my intention to capture both humor and emotion at the same time,

but simply by being honest, the value others placed on me seemed to rise.

In any case, I felt I had made a good first impression among the gods.

Hermes took back the Caduceus from me with ease,

raising his hand to call for attention from the audience.

When he did, the golden light of the Golden Pen in his hand caught everyone’s eye.

“The light-hearted interview concludes here. Now remains the final choice.”

Hermes, who maintained high energy in tune with the festive mood,

switched to a solemn tone as he initiated the final phase.

As if responding, the gods in the audience set aside their wine and food, turning their focus to the stage.

“Will Ark make the final choice?”

Hermes concluded his speech, turned his back to the audience, and approached me quickly.

He handed me the Golden Pen, holding the Caduceus backward.

Passing by me after handing over the item, Hermes whispered meaningfully,

“Oh~ Lady Hera, she’s scary, isn’t she?”

With that, Hermes returned to his place, turning into just a cheerful spectator of my event.

Caught off guard, I spun around, but Hermes was already back to his bright smile, watching as a mere audience member.

Though a peculiar feeling lingered, I refocused, shaking my head to clear it.

I glanced at the audience again.

Eros sat with a bow on his lap, glaring at me.

Athena stood watchfully near him, armed with a spear.

Nike, anxious about Athena, glanced worriedly at her.

The gazes intertwined, creating an invisible storm of tension.

There was no escape now.

I entered the eye of the storm.

Within it, my happy ending awaited.

“Phew…”

I descended from the stage using the staircase on the right.

Standing at the corner rather than the front, I could only see the profile of Hephaestus, closest among the Twelve Chief Gods.

Moving with confidence between the stage and the front row, I first passed Hephaestus and Poseidon.

Then, I stopped in front of Athena, my steadfast ally and unyielding Maiden Goddess.

I bowed deeply at a 90-degree angle as a greeting before moving past her.

At that moment, the audience shifted lightly.

Glancing up, I saw Gods, including Nike, who thought I would gift the Golden Pen to Athena, were surprised and confused.

Only Eros, who expected my surrender, watched me unpleasantly with a smirk.

Hot!

Eros, isn’t it too early to get excited?

I moved past Demeter and Hestia, who I wasn’t connected with yet.

Eventually, I arrived in front of Aphrodite.

Aphrodite occasionally smiled at me but quickly turned her head away after frowning.

“Back then, I may have spoken too harshly, and it’s been weighing on my heart. Let me apologize for my misconduct that day.”

“…”

Just like before with Athena, I bowed at a 90-degree angle.

However, the Golden Pen stayed firmly in my hand,

and I moved on to my next destination.

This shocked Eros, who opened his mouth in surprise.

It was only natural.

Not Athena,

not Aphrodite,

then who?

This confusing question must’ve hit Eros hard.

Seeing Eros’ surprised expression was half the victory.

This confusion spread from Eros to Nike,

and then to the entire audience.

Several of the Twelve Chief Gods I had already passed now stood up, crossing their arms as they watched who I would approach.

The Golden Pen.

What exactly is it that has captured the attention of all the gods?

Rather, it’s the situation surrounding the pen that truly holds their interest.

If I give it to Athena, Eros’ arrows will fly.

If I give it to Aphrodite, Nike’s curse will be laid upon me.

If I gift it to an unentitled third party without reason, many gods who won’t understand would fill me with distrust and scorn.

There’s no going back.

I’ve already passed Athena and Aphrodite.

Who’s left? Artemis, Hera, Zeus.

“Artemis? Isn’t he her subordinate?”

“Idiot! How can a subordinate receive such a gift!”

“Hmm… Then who? Hera? What’s the justification?”

“Shh! Let’s see how this unfolds!”

Several mid-level gods sitting behind Zeus provided a tense commentary on the situation.

Responding to their commentary, I swiftly passed the still-embarrassed Artemis,

moved beyond Hera, and stood proudly before Zeus.

That’s right.

From the start, the true recipient of the Golden Pen was neither Athena nor Aphrodite,

but Zeus!

In line with the priests before me, I knelt on one knee and respectfully offered the pen with both hands.

However, Zeus appeared deeply displeased, displaying behavior akin to a rugby ball ready to bounce unpredictably.

He crossed his arms, exuding a hot breath of refusal.

“Priest Ark. Surely you are aware of the unwritten rules surrounding the Golden Pen?”

“I am. One must select either a deity of the opposite gender or a third-party god with significant justification.”

“Exactly. Thus, I refuse your offering. Withdraw.”

Zeus pushed my Golden Pen aside, refusing to accept it.

See, it wouldn’t be fun if he didn’t refuse.

“I apologize, my Lord Zeus. I offer this Golden Pen to you as an offering to Lord Zeus, but it is not a gift for you.”

“What?”

“I present this Golden Pen, along with my sincerity, to Lady Metis, who resides within your body.”

No rule says one must not anger Zeus,

but my statement broke the golden unspoken rule that no one should ever provoke him.