“Then, shall we begin the fourth of the Twelve Labors?”
Before I could even inquire about his well-being, Hermes cut straight to the main topic.
His bold voice, which sounded like a declaration of war, carried a resolve that an ordinary person could never fathom.
Additionally, there was a sense of urgency, as though he had no time to be lying in bed.
Given that Hera had threatened him by holding his mother Maia hostage, this wasn’t surprising.
If Hermes failed in the fourth Labor, Hera had warned that she would certainly plunge Maia into despair.
While I don’t know all the details,
Hermes, who had once been favored by Hera, surely understood the extent of the retaliation that despair entailed.
“I understand. Then, where…?”
“Hahaha~ Today’s sunlight feels especially warm. It gets suffocating inside the temple, so how about we sit in the front yard and have a chat? We can enjoy the fresh air—it’s great, right?”
Soon, we will face the confrontation in the fourth Labor, where no compromise can be made.
If I lose, I’ll lose Artemis,
and if Hermes loses, his mother will face retaliation.
Yet Hermes suggested it as casually as if we were going on a picnic.
“Ye…? Yes, understood.”
He gave me a thumbs-up, obviously pleased with my enthusiastic reply, then winked at me and left the room.
The door closed naturally as a cool breeze followed his departure.
I looked to Artemis with the question, “Is Hermes usually this relaxed?”
She smirked and pointed at me with her fork, as if reading my thoughts from my expression.
“Pfft! So Ark, you also find the gods burdensome?”
“Would you call it burdensome?”
“Don’t you get it? It’s strange that you can’t understand why Hermes, who cares deeply for his mother, is so calm in this situation.”
“True. Above all, I didn’t expect Hera to be this smart. Setting us up like this… I too will lose someone precious the moment I lose.”
“Soo… soo… soo…”
I nodded in agreement with her confirmation,
but Artemis’ face turned red like a heated iron, and she began trembling her lips.
Moreover, she was gripping her fork upside down, and its sharp end was slowly pointing at me.
“Again? Are you going to stab me with the fork?”
“Who is your precious person, huh? You pervert!!”
She slammed the shaking fork into the table before I could respond.
Because of that, the army of ants coming to steal the remnants of the hamburger sauce on the table hurriedly retreated.
…
Still, our troublesome goddess seems to be embarrassed by this kind of talk even now.
Shouldn’t she be used to it by now…
No, right?
Didn’t she hug me first during the battle with Ares?
Ho ho.
Though she easily engages in embarrassing actions, she can’t bear hearing embarrassing words, can she?
Then it’s up to me to help her remember.
“But, Artemis, didn’t you cry and make a fuss on the stage at the last celebration party when the oil flame ran out, saying you didn’t want to be separated from me…?”
Keeeeeek.
Artemis, still glowing red, bent the fork stuck in the table into a ‘G’ shape. It seemed like an unspoken order for me to shut up.
“Right! Speaking of which, Ark!”
Realizing something, Artemis snapped her fingers and began jabbing at me while instantly changing the room’s heated atmosphere.
“What is it now?”
“What exactly is the reward for the fourth Labor anyway?! And you, who made such a demand, why are you so casually talking about my importance and such?”
Three days ago, I requested my reward in the grand hall of Olympus without hesitation, and Artemis received it with a slightly uncomfortable expression.
The reward for the fourth Labor?
It’s very simple.
[Agreement to the exercise of the privileges of a priest.]
If I were to explain what that means, even an entire day wouldn’t be enough, so I’ll briefly summarize.
I, Ark, am the sole priest of Artemis.
I have been at level 9 for a long time, but thanks to the recommendation of the gods, I recently advanced to level 8.
There are two benefits that come with advancing to level 8.
First, a raise in pay.
Of course, an expected benefit. My salary increased by 20 Silver, from 1 Gold 80 Silver to 2 Gold now. That’s roughly 2 million won in Korean currency.
Second, the ability to directly hire a Level 9 secretary.
Officially, they’re called ‘Junior Priest,’ but no one really uses that title because it doesn’t roll off the tongue.
Instead, they’re generally referred to as secretaries since they assist the level 8 priest in their duties.
Why is there a “junior” title attached? If you’re a priest like me, you’re the actual priest—why the prefix?
I passed the recruitment exam and was personally chosen by Artemis, making me an official priest.
However, the secretary isn’t appointed by the god but by the priest themselves, making it an appointed position.
It’s a great system for me because it allows me to delegate excessive work.
Additionally, secretaries receive benefits that are comparable to a priest’s once they’re appointed, making it a dream position for many!
Thus, it was customary for the priest to appoint a secretary with the consent of their direct god,
but for this Labor’s reward, I demanded the right to hire someone without consent.
“Artemis, are you jealous?”
“Quit acting crazy! Do you want to die?”
“Ahahaha… Just kidding~ kidding~”
Still, it was clear she was curious about whom I would appoint without her permission. In the past three days, she subtly asked me about it every time it came to her mind.
She might think she isn’t showing any signs, but honestly, she’s asked 14 times already, including this one.
Even a fool couldn’t fail to notice.
“Hmph!”
“Ahahaha. Relax, I said it was a joke.”
“So, who is it? A woman?”
Number 15.
“Haven’t you been treating our temple’s priestesses like iron walls? Like a timid mouse, who have you been getting close to?”
…Number 16.
She must be really bothered by it.
But now is not the time to worry about that.
Since the duel with Hermes will start soon.
“I’ll tell you after I win. Honestly, I’m very nervous right now.”
“That’s true. Let’s go.”
Hermes, confident in his victory, believed in it without a doubt.
And Artemis, equally confident, took my win as a given, remaining light-hearted throughout our conversation.
She was simply focused on the secretary I was about to appoint.
We quickly headed to the temple’s front yard as Hermes had suggested.
As we stepped out of the temple, Hermes, who had set up three chairs, welcomed us with a wave, saying we had arrived perfectly on time.
Artemis and I exchanged a look silently, and we sat down in the chairs Hermes had arranged.
Sitting across from us, he offered us a refreshing pineapple drink that was set on the table.
This felt less like a showdown and more like Hermes’ counseling session.
Dozens of servant spirits hiding in the forest gathered around us, ready to witness the impending Labor.
Artemis, meanwhile, wearing sunglasses, signaled the start by lowering her hands like a boxing referee, implying we shouldn’t concern ourselves with her observation.
“Ho~y, you’re quite the big shot, aren’t you? You’re sitting with two of the Twelve Olympians without even a hint of nervousness.”
Hermes, trying to lighten the mood, was prodding me subtly—an obvious declaration of the beginning of the duel.
“Such kind words. In fact, the remarkable one here is Mr. Hermes.”
“Me?”
Hermes pointed at himself with his finger, seemingly unaware of my intentions.
Or perhaps he was playing dumb on purpose…
“At the emergency council session, we met at the entrance of the assembly hall.”
“That’s right. So?”
“At that time, you used special bats to provide a direct view of the happenings inside.”
“The twin bats? One bat can show the sight of the other, right? That happened?”
Artemis, who had been silently listening, helped clarify the bat’s nature, urging him to hurry up with her answer.
Yet, I held Hermes’ gaze and continued.
“The reason you helped me then… Wasn’t it because you already knew you’d be in trouble due to Hera’s wrath?”
“Whaaat? What are you talking about?”
“The request from Zeus left you with no choice but to defy Hera. You knew her fiery personality well and were also aware no other gods could intervene.”
“…”
“As you anticipated a crisis, you decided on me as the one to help you out.”
I concluded my deduction in a declarative, rather than questioning, manner.
What could divert attention from Hera’s wrath?
None other than myself, Priest Ark.
Hermes must have known that my mere presence draws a lot of attention.
He’d used the favor of letting me eavesdrop on the Olympians’ session as a form of insurance for himself.
Fully aware of my inclination not to ignore someone who’s helped me!
“Do you also know that Nike is watching?”
“Honestly, I had no clue.”
“Hey~ Isn’t that impressive anyway?”
Hermes, wide-eyed, applauded without even realizing he’d raised both his hands.
“I sincerely appreciate your heartfelt compliment.”
“Haha, right. We really don’t need time to relax. Let’s get down to it.”
“Yes. Since neither of us can back down.”
“Alright. First, the conditions. I will present you with a total of three problems in turns over the course of a week.”
“Understood.”
“Let’s proceed, then, to the first problem of the fourth Labor.”
As Hermes leaned his cane, encircled by snakes, against the ground, the text of the first challenge began to reveal itself slowly, as if printed.
[Which attitude reflects your mindset? Choose one.]
1. It’s okay. As humans, we’re bound to make mistakes! Everything will work out fine.
2. No! There can be no room for mistakes. Therefore, it must be perfect.
What is this ridiculous question with no context?
