Chapter 60

I flicked my wrist to transform the bracelet-shaped Rainbow into a bow.

Thereupon, a beautiful and snow-white longbow revealed its form.

“With this, the Metis matter is postponed. Somehow, I need to move the story forward.”

Uuuum. Uuuuuum.

In response, the Rainbow resonated as if in agreement.

The Rainbow, having inherited my will, obediently turns its body a brilliant blue in accordance with my intention.

[Blue (Signal) – Instantly reveals the location of the user to anyone familiar with them.]

Lifting the unstrung bow with my legs, I slowly pulled the string taut toward the heavens.

The soft string stretched without resistance, much like pulled cheese.

Wisps of intelligence-inducing blue light swirled around me like a swarm of butterflies, condensing into a single arrow that clicked snugly into the drawn string.

The hue of the nocked arrow was a vivid blue.

I fired Athena’s empowered arrow of wisdom.

With a whistling “Peeeeet!” sound, the blue arrow shot straight into the lofty sky.

The far-rising blue arrow soon burst like fireworks against the night sky, scattering a cascade of blue powder.

“Hurry, hurry.”

I hastily scrawled “Fourth Task” onto a piece of parchment, raising it high like a placard for everyone overhead to see.

The method of transmitting my position is quite simple.

A single photograph, taken in a manner similar to a drone or helicopter camera looking down from above, gets transmitted directly into their mind’s eye.

“Please work. Athena, Artemis!”

Worried it might appear blurry, I pulled harder, tensing the parchment even more taut.

Still holding this pose, I stared at the screen displayed by a bat familiar.

In the somber atmosphere, Athena and Artemis, who had just dozed off, gave a little start.

Their eyes, though, remained fixed on vacancy.

Nice!

Judging from that reaction, they’ve definitely picked up my blue signal.

The two goddesses exchanged silent glances, communicating wordlessly.

Alright.

You two should be able to fire now.

Regarding the awkwardly lingering, possibly eternally unresolved Metis raffle,

the blue signal fired like a battle flare!

“Alright, then. Let’s put the Metis raffle matter on hold, and uh… perhaps revisit it in 2000 years?”

That was Zeus’s mischievous scheme.

His previously gloomy face now shone like a child receiving a birthday present.

It’s only now apparent that his listless entrance into the hall was just acting.

Faking helplessness, sorrow, and lack of authority while secretly strategizing with Hermes.

Their strategy boiled down to tie-breaking tactics.

Using some rough estimations and compilations of the gods’ inclinations so far, the vote was predicted to conclude by a single vote margin.

It was clear Hermes was instructed to join the side falling short of votes to force a tie.

Fitting of the King of Gods,

his handling of right and wrong, as well as the approach to solving problems, was notably flexible.

“What? What nonsense! No postponement, solve it right now—”

Hera began to lose her temper, understandably so since postponing essentially means leaving the issue unsettled.

Much like an advancing army can’t comfortably leave enemies to their rear,

but quieted down again after Aphrodite whispered something into her ear.

It seems likely Aphrodite, much like myself, caught onto Zeus and Hermes’s little ploy.

But still… will things proceed exactly as you intend?

Bang!

Athena slammed her hands onto the table and stood up.

All eyes turned toward her.

“Father, leaving this on hold simply cannot be. The matter of the raffle must be decided definitively.”

“Erm… But Athena, the vote result is 4 versus 4, it’s a tie, there’s nothing that can be done about that, right?”

Zeus’s seemingly troubled expression was frustratingly transparent.

The certainty in his voice suggested even the goddess of wisdom saw no way out in this situation.

“That’s not correct. There is one method.”

“Mm… What is it?”

“By coincidence, the priest Ark is on standby outside this meeting room. I suggest we leave the decision to him.”

Every deity in the conference room was shocked by Athena’s suggestion.

“This is mayhem, true, but this is a meeting among gods. Even though Ark might hold the position of a priest, how can we delegate this decision to a human?”

Poseidon was the first to throw a more traditional counterargument.

Athena responded with a sly smile as if expecting this question, and with hands spread wide.

“Isn’t it you all who left the choice of the fairest goddess to a human named Phaeton?”

Indeed, Athena.

Since you recognize this to be the opportune moment to save your mother…

you even cited the historically humiliating moment of being rejected by Phaeton’s choice.

She would walk into Hellfire barefoot without hesitation now.

“Another point. The upcoming agenda concerns the dismissal of priest Ark. His judgment might be too biased.”

“Initially, this agenda was intended to resolve the matters that happened while Ark tried to present the Golden Pen to Metis.”

“Hm… That’s true.”

Poseidon, who once managed to force Zeus into a watery retreat, glanced at Hera before deftly nodding.

Then, after staying silent all this while, Demeter raised her hand and interjected.

“Athena? If what you say were true, isn’t it obvious Ark would cast his vote in favor? That doesn’t sound fair.”

“Yes, Aunt. Currently, between Artemis and Priest Ark, the Twelve Labors are in progress.”

Athena paused briefly and sized up the crowd’s attention,

before continuing.

“So, why don’t we make this agenda the Fourth Labor?”

“Fourth Labor?”

“Indeed, is there such a method?”

“But…will that be fair?”

The conference room began to stir slightly.

Athena then clapped her hands, signaling she still had more to say, drawing everyone’s full attention.

“The process is simple: If Ark completes the Fourth Labor, the Metis raffle stands, and if he fails, the raffle is dismissed.”

This completely unexpected Fourth Labor,

seemed plausible to the gods, and they began to nod in agreement.

After all,

if Ark failed the Labor, not only would the Metis raffle be null, but his entrapment through the Labors would mean no need to discuss his dismissal further.

For those who disliked Ark, this was an opportune moment to dispose of him without having to provide any major justification.

For about 10 minutes,

Hera and other dissenters huddled and discussed their interests.

The proponents, finding little room to discuss, merely maintained a stance of waiting out Hera’s side.

As ten minutes passed,

Hera, having reached a consensus with her group, approached Zeus.

“Sweetie, we also agree with Athena’s proposal.”

“Is that so…?”

Zeus’s face momentarily twisted, hoping for opposition.

His expression was remarkably similar to mine,

though for a slightly different reason:

He wondered why Hera, after receiving Aphrodite’s hint to indefinitely delay this agenda, now agreed.

“However! We will determine the content of the Fourth Labor.”

Hera, accepting the suggestion in exchange for dictating its content, threw down an ultimatum,

while glaring at Athena and I with her hands propped on her waist,

exuding an air of “Go ahead and try to oppose me.”

Indeed, Hera must already have an idea for an impossible Fourth Labor.

“Uh, but He, Hera-sama… Due to the main premise, only I and Ark can decide the Labor…”

Artemis’s voice trailed off, shrinking in the presence of Hera,

as though she were a mouse before a cat.

Still, she logically refuted that the premise of the labors only allowed her to dictate their themes.

The main premise, set under Zeus and Leto’s supervision, established four conditions:

1. All twelve labors must be decided by Artemis herself.

2. Each labor must include an entirely unique person.

3. The period of each labor is two weeks.

4. Successful completion of each labor comes with a reward, contingent upon mutual agreement.

Clearly, due to the first premise, Hera cannot directly impose a labor on Ark.

Yet, it isn’t entirely impossible.

Artemis, still naive and pure, hasn’t yet accustomed herself to the underhanded methods of adults.

Seeing that Hera probably thought along the same lines as me,

Hera’s fan-covered mouth stretched open,

and with a crooked finger, she pointed at Artemis.

“Oh-ho ho ho! Artemis~? If you voice it, that’s enough.”

“Y-Yes?”

“We’ll just suggest what the Fourth Labor might be, leaving the final decision up to you, thus creating no problem whatsoever.”

“…”

Yes, yes…

After thousands of years, dealing with the oaths by the River Styx and prophecies, the veteran Twelve Great Gods were adept at weaving around covenants without breaking them.

Athena grabbed Artemis’s shoulders with both hands and forced her to meet her eyes.

“Artemis.”

“Yes, sister…”

“Do you trust Ark?”

Under Hera’s unshakable confidence, Artemis’s eyes were initially restless and filled with anxiety,

but upon hearing Athena’s question, they began to steady.

“I trust him!”

“So do I.”

Athena’s confident murmur settled everything.

“Me too.”

“YOU, stay out of it!!!”

As Apollo obnoxiously inserted himself into the high and holy resolution of the two maiden goddesses, he was promptly chased away by his sister.

Amid the laughter spurred by Apollo’s antics, the proponents of the Metis raffle put aside their tension,

and turned sharply to fix intense stares on Hera’s side.

Everyone brimmed with a fierce will to fight.

“Ho ho—!”

Hera, smirking coldly at the fervor, gestured with her fan towards the air,

then waved it about, writing the theme of the Fourth Labor onto the ceiling of the conference room.

[Resolve Hermes’ Three Riddles.]