Chapter 53

“Arc, if there’s a way to become a god… would you give up your wish to abandon the Twelve Labors and become my boyfriend instead?”

Artemis’s final words, spoken in her state of extreme depression, were quite shocking.

To become… a god…?

Me… a god?

“Wa… wh… what… E, uh?”

I was so astonished that I didn’t know what to do, stumbling over my words like a fool, and my mouth wouldn’t move easily.

Isn’t this practically the same as being told you could become the ruler of a country?

I know of about three ways to become a god in Olympus.

1. If you are the offspring of a god and a goddess.

2. Like Heracles, if your soul is taken to Olympus after d*ath and elevated to godhood.

3. Like Psyche, a human who is transformed into a goddess.

In short, one can become a god if they receive the consensus and approval of the Olympian gods.

But is Artemis aware of another method to become a god aside from these three?

If so, all I can think of is Nectar.

However, no god can casually smuggle that drink out.

“Come with me.”

Artemis glanced at me briefly, then got up from the couch.

She approached the bookshelf on the right side and pulled out a black book from the top shelf, then reinserted it upside down.

From behind the bookshelf, a loud thud resonated.

Next, when she pushed the bookshelf aside, a hidden door appeared in its place.

“What… what is this? A secret room?”

“Hmm.”

There hadn’t been any hint of a hidden room during the usual cleaning of her quarters.

Considering the structure of the temple, Artemis’s bedroom was bound to be spacious.

Still, having a secret room behind the bedroom made it unsurprisingly small.

Who would have guessed this seemingly careless goddess, who frequently goes hunting and spends temple funds recklessly, had such foresight?

She’s more impressive than I thought.

She beckoned to me with her finger and entered the secret room first.

I quickly stood up and hurried after her, stepping on her shadow from behind.

“This is…”

A simple square-shaped secret room.

Inside, it was packed with hundreds of glass bottles filled with some kind of liquid.

That said, it wasn’t ordinary drink.

It seemed blessed like the seawater Poseidon once enchanted, as this liquid emitted a brilliant, multi-colored light.

“Could this… could this be Nectar?”

“Hmm.”

“Wh-What? E, how can you have this much Nectar? If Hebe finds out, not only will she confiscate it all, but there might be worse consequences, right!?”

“Idiot! That’s why I hid it!”

Nectar.

The drink favored by the gods.

Some say it’s made from fruit juices, others say from honey water, but the exact ingredients remain unknown.

What’s certain, though, is that regularly drinking this Nectar can grant immortality on par with the gods.

Unconfirmed rumors suggest that one bottle of Nectar could extend one’s life by a year.

If there’s a human older than 100 years, they’d often be questioned about whether they’ve stolen and consumed Nectar.

Nectar is such a valuable drink that it’s normally managed meticulously by Hebe, the goddess of youth, and only brought out during the gods’ festivals.

“For now, let’s go.”

Having accomplished her purpose of showing me the Nectar, Artemis quickly ushered me out.

She swiftly returned the bookshelf to cover the secret room, reinserting the black book the right side up.

“My goodness…”

A thousand bottles of Nectar.

In short, it means living a thousand years.

That’s practically the same as being a god to a human.

How did Artemis secure so much Nectar?

I was too astonished to easily comprehend the situation.

However, there are three kinds of gifts I absolutely refuse:

One, with unknown origins.

Two, with unclear intentions.

And lastly, ones whose nature is uncertain.

This falls under the category of unknown origin.

“Artemis, tell me honestly. Judging by a rough estimate, there are over a thousand bottles here… did you steal them?”

As I looked at her suspiciously, Artemis bristled with anger.

“Tsk! Stealing? What nonsense! What do you take me for? I’m Artemis, ARTEMIS!”

“Herbe is Hera’s daughter. Given how much Hera detests us, her daughter giving Nectar to you sounds highly implausible.”

“Well…”

Stung by my reasonable questioning, Artemis pursed her lips.

Her gaze flickered between the secret room and me as she tapped her foot, seemingly debating whether or not she could divulge something.

“I’ll decide whether or not to accept your deal after knowing the origin of this Nectar.”

“Ugh…”

Cornered by me, Artemis sighed deeply and sat down.

Leaning her elbows on the desk, she rested her chin, avoiding my gaze and staring blankly at some random wall.

After about five minutes of my intense stare,

She finally opened her mouth, seemingly resigned.

“I… I got them during the festivals. There’s nothing strange about that, right?”

“Festivals where gods drink Nectar, I know that much. But if such grand festivals happen twice a year at most, how could you have brought back what looks to be over a thousand bottles? Your excuse about bringing unused Nectar back to the temple doesn’t hold up.”

“…What? Is this an… excuse?! It’s not an excuse! I just bring bottles home from the festival without drinking them!”

She shouted loudly, clearly irritated by the word “excuse.”

Her earnestly agitated behavior started to confuse me.

As if this were like picking up promotional flyers on the street…

Could anyone really smuggle out the divine drink Nectar?

“…So? Assuming there’s a festival once a year… have you spent a thousand years not drinking Nectar and bringing it home?”

“……What! Is that not allowed?”

“Is that… even possible?”

“It’s not usually allowed, but no one paid attention to me during the festivals. I could quietly eat some snacks in the corner and leave with a few bottles of Nectar without a single god noticing.”

“Ah… huh…”

At this shockingly sad confession, I instinctively covered my mouth with both hands.

There was bound to be no friends for the highly individualistic Artemis.

Moreover, as one of the Twelve Olympians, skipping grand festivities like divine banquets wasn’t an option for her.

It seems like she’s spent a thousand years attending festivals alone and returning home quietly every time.

And considering that no one stopped her from smuggling out the heavenly drink, it shows that…

No one cared about Artemis for a thousand years.

“Artemis…”

“What? Stop with that tragic and sympathetic tone.”

“You’ve been so lonely, haven’t you?”

Realizing what I might have been thinking, Artemis blushed furiously and jumped out of her seat.

Marching up to me,

She kicked my shin with the intensity of a penalty kick scored in the dying minutes of a 0-0 football match.

“Ugh!”

“It’s not that I’ve been lonely! I just prefer being alone!”

“My leg bones feel fractured…”

“It’ll heal if I lick it.”

“Then would you mind licking it for me?”

“PERVERT!!!”

Once again, Artemis violently kicked my shin with a full swing.

This is bad.

I feel like there’s a crack in the bone now.

I massaged my slightly swollen calf and sneakily glanced at the expression on the face of our goddess.

Fortunately, she seemed to have dispelled her melancholy with some light teasing banter and returned to being the usual Artemis who enjoyed bickering.

If only this exchange could fix the problem, it would have been a fair trade for my broken shin.

“Goddess~ come here and sit down~”

“What, what? Why the sudden shift? Why’s your voice so sleazy again?”

“I just got incredibly moved.”

“There’re plenty of things to be moved about.”

Ah! It’s far more than mere movement.

From the standpoint of a human, this is an unparalleled honor.

One goddess is offering me a thousand bottles of Nectar.

Of course, I doubt it was collected over a thousand years specifically for me.

“Artemis, can I ask you one thing?”

“What is it?”

“Isn’t the reason you’re offering this deal out of affection for me?”

“…”

No.

There’s more to wanting to be with someone than just love.

Feelings like friendship, dependence, expectations, and happiness can also lead to the desire to spend time together.

Even if it’s not due to affection,

The fact that our bickering daily moments are precious to her as well was a great discovery for me.

“In that case, I should give my answer.”

It may appear somewhat illegal,

But still, she has explained the origins of the Nectar.

I need to reply.

“Okay. So, what’ll you do? If you wish, I can amend the granted wish so that you get one bottle of Nectar per year.”

“…So I’d really live as a god indefinitely…”

“Exactly. Give up on the boyfriend wish. The Twelve Labors will automatically lose their purpose. And this time, I won’t even ask you to let go of the dream. How about it?”

She slapped an enchanted parchment from the drawer onto the table in front of me.

The moment I sign this paper, I’ll lose the power of the existing wish,

But I’ll be free from the persecution of the gods who hate me and will become an official member of Olympus.

A god.

“…Artemis.”

“Agh, seriously! Why do you keep calling me? Arc, considering how long your tongue’s been wagging today, you’re obviously deep in thought, huh?”

It’s only natural.

It’s not only because of the appealing offer to become a god.

It also feels wrong because my feelings for Artemis would be invalidated indirectly by her offer.

Her making this proposal also means, in her own way, that she wants to spend more time with me.

Also, it’s not a proposal that’s unfavorable to me at all.

A human becoming a god…

That would be amazing.

However!

I pushed the parchment back toward Artemis.

“What does that mean?”

“Rejection.”

“…”

Artemis grabbed the parchment, clenched it tightly with both hands, and crumpled it up.

She threw the crumpled paper at my face while pointing at me.

“…I knew it already. You were just after my body, huh?”

“Why would you think that?”

“Isn’t love wanting to be with someone forever? Isn’t a thousand years better than a hundred? And yet, you’re rejecting it.”

It seems that she was testing the depths of my heart.

But from the very beginning, I had no intention of drinking the Nectar.

Though, out of curiosity, I might try one bottle to see how it tastes,

“Artemis. I don’t want to become a god who has to rely on medicine to prolong my life like a dying patient.”

“Then you mean you’ll love me for only a hundred years?”

“As long as I live, even if it’s just for a day, my love will be constant.”

“I don’t understand… Isn’t living longer and loving longer always better? Why are you refusing? Why are you different from other humans?”

While shaking her head, confused about my choice,

She occasionally locked eyes with me, her pupils trembling,

The disappointment on her face was full of pain because of my refusal.

“Artemis.”

“Don’t call me.”

As I approached, she waved her right arm in front of her to stop me from getting closer.

Of course, it’s reasonable.

Since I’ve rejected her feelings of wanting to stay together long because it’s fun being with me,

Putting love aside for a moment,

“Artemis, please don’t misunderstand me.”

“What misunderstanding?”

“I haven’t rejected becoming a god. I’ve refused the Nectar. Becoming a god would be great, right? Why would I reject it?”

“Wa… what do you mean?”

The confused Artemis narrowed her eyes.

I grinned and pointed at her with my hooked finger.

“Artemis, why don’t you make me a god?”

“Wha… wha… what?”

At this unexpected proposal, Artemis could only gape at me like a fish out of water.