“True Goddess?”
“Yeah. Not one of the numerous goddesses, but the one and only Goddess.”
Was it about two weeks ago?
When she showed me the over a thousand bottles of Nectar she had hidden away,
I refused it and instead asked her to become the true Supreme Goddess and make me a god.
At the time, Artemis took my proposal as the foolish and out-of-line joke of a human.
She probably didn’t take it seriously at all.
But after being oppressed by Hera, Artemis came to her senses and spent the last week pondering,
and it seems she has now completely erased the word ‘joke’.
“Why did the carefree Artemis, who enjoyed hunting day by day and walked her own path, suddenly think of such a thing?”
“Until now, I felt like I was just a rubber stamp at Olympus Council meetings, and when I tried to speak correctly, I was controlled… Everything felt wrong. Above all…”
She looked out the window for a moment at Hermes and then cut her words short, slamming the curtain in agitation.
Her hands are still gripping the curtain,
and the trembling of her hands spreads so that the curtain fabric ripples like a wave.
“…The Twelve Labors of Hercules are my sole rights, yet it really bothers me that the surrounding gods use me as a mere tool.”
Indeed, the fourth labor was used as a tactic of Hera’s oppressive strategy amidst a grim atmosphere, with the pro- and anti-rehabilitation factions for Metis clearly divided.
Using a clever method, Hera forced Hermes and me into a life-or-death match on the brink of a cliff.
This unfortunate goddess has only now realized that her own rights have been infringed upon and bursts out with a cold resentment like the sharp teeth of a wolf gleaming under moonlight.
The cold air that flows out when the refrigerator door is just opened fills the room.
This form is fairly impressive, but can she confidently show it before the goddess Hera?
Probably not, at least not now.
Then, is there a guideline for improvement from this point?
“So?”
“So what? What’s the question?”
“You said you want to become a true goddess, right? Haven’t you thought about the method?”
“Hmm… That… Agh!”
Artemis, rolling her eyes and failing to find words, narrows her gaze and puffs her cheeks.
She looks much like a child in an anime who admires a hero and runs to their mom declaring,
“Mom! I’m going to become a hero!”
And when the mom counterquestions with something like,
“Alright, our son. How will you become a hero? What are the necessary certifications?”
and drives her into cold reality, the child gets sullen and pouts at the mom.
“Hahahaha, don’t worry. Who am I? Ark, that’s right, Ark.”
“You must mean that ridiculous Ark.”
“Eh~ Anyway, don’t you trust me? You’ll become the Goddess Maker for me, right? How does that sound?”
“I’ll see how you do.”
Artemis, mimicking a poised woman with false arrogance.
Still, she doesn’t seem completely displeased as she briefly grins, and I unconsciously follow her with a smile, infected by her attitude.
It’s naturally my job to help my girlfriend succeed,
and I firmly believe that her success will also open a path for me.
“As a commemoration of becoming your advisor, may I ask a somewhat sensitive question?”
“What is it?”
“Why did Lady Hera attempt to kill Lady Maia at Mount Kallikê?”
Let me briefly explain my thoughts from that time.
No matter the justification of punishing an adulterous lover, can a god so easily kill another god?
Are you telling me Maia, who is now a 9th class secretary of mine, was killed like this?
It’s hard to understand, even for the emotional Hera.
“Ah, that one? In my opinion, Hermes’ biggest mistake was likely the main reason.”
“Huh? Why is Hermes suddenly involved?”
“That guy, in order to free Hera from her oppression, hid his mother in the mountains for thousands of years. Pretending she was dead, he concealed her.”
“Then why?”
“Even though Maia’s rank as a deity is lower, she is still the goddess of part of spring. But since she had pretended to be dead and hidden away, she neglected her duties of managing spring. It’s a case of a god slacking.”
“Isn’t disciplining slacking gods also part of the Queen of Olympus Hera’s duties?”
“Of course. Naturally, including our father as well.”
The cunning Hera.
She loudly proclaimed to overturn the fiery Hell that brought shame while standing in front of me,
but internally she had fully calculated the justification for killing a god and acted accordingly.
Headache.
The brainpower and political skills of the foes I have to face are no joke.
“Then, what do you think Hera will do next?”
“What’s the matter?”
“Did you forget? She truly tried to kill Lady Maia. For all we know, she might try to harm her again if she gets another chance?”
“No. That won’t happen.”
Her firm certainty made me feel more perplexed than glad.
Why can she be so certain?
As I tilted my head in confusion, Artemis pulled out a high-quality parchment from the reply box and handed it to me.
Upon receiving the parchment, I asked her what it was with my eyes, and she brushed her ear irritably, waving her hand.
It seemed she was telling me to just read it.
[Decision of Punishment]
Subject: Maia.
-Titan-born Maia secluded herself at Mount Kallikê while neglecting her duties.
-Due to long-term negligence, deceiving both gods and humans, Maia is stripped of all authority and divinity and is sentenced to live as a human slave.
-There is no specified duration.
At the bottom, it bears the large seal of Zeus’ lightning symbol.
“Well… it feels like Zeus acted before Hera even managed to run amok?”
“That’s likely. Since even Elder Sister Athena stepped in, I’m sure that’s why this conclusion was reached.”
This document, in a sense,
is a kind of immunity for me, who employed a god as a secretary.
Unintentionally, it looks like I received Zeus’ help.
Still…
“Slave…? Is Maia my slave?”
“You’re ridiculous again!”
Hmph! Hmph!
From a low posture, she quickly approached and plunged a punch into my abdomen.
Looking down at my involuntarily bent upper body, she struck my back with her left elbow.
A brilliant combination.
What can I say?
While beating me up, it seems her skills at doing so are improving.
“Cough! Cough! No, I was joking! Can’t you take a joke! Ah~ it hurts.”
“Joke… really?”
Artemis, who knows me well as someone unpredictable like a runaway rugby ball, looks at me suspiciously with a squint and glare.
“Hmm… What do you think of me?”
“Pervert.”
“Hmm… I can neither deny nor confirm that.”
“Now, really! You! Listen, I’m warning you… If you act out, you’ll be a wind tunnel immediately! If you harbor strange thoughts, you’ll be a wind tunnel! If you touch me, you’ll be a wind tunnel! If you speak first, you’ll be a wind tunnel! If you make eye contact, you’ll be a wind tunnel! Do you understand?”
……
All wind tunnels, huh?
Even if I close my eyes, can’t we have a calm conversation?
“A little unfair, but okay. All right?”
“Don’t use that unlucky Apollo tone!”
“Hahahaha~ Got it~ Then moving on to the next item—”
“Ah, really!!! I have a sore throat! So much blabbering! Why do you have so many questions?”
Artemis began losing her temper due to the confusion in her heart.
But!
A priest of a goddess who can’t predict the goddess’s irritation threshold is not qualified to be called her priest.
Knowing this would happen, I immediately fetched a pineapple juice with ice chunks. Her frown on her forehead melted like snow under the sun.
“Straw.”
“Yes, yes.”
I kindly provided the straw and handed it over with both hands.
She slightly touched the tip of the small straw with her little mouth, sucking the juice repeatedly.
Eh… really,
It feels like the experience of raising a child in real-time.
Judging by her revived demeanor, I asked again.
“Do you know anything about the unidentified god I heard about at Mount Kallikê?”
“Who?”
“I’m talking about the unidentified god from Mount Kallikê. You might know something.”
“No clue. Didn’t see. I just knew there was a god because at that time, I was face down on the ground with Hermes crying.”
“It seems so…”
To gauge even a bit of Hera’s unfathomable power, it’s someone we must identify.
Unfortunate as it is, we haven’t been able to figure out the identity of the mysterious god who helped us.
Still,
the blessing and good fortune came before the controversy of employing a god as a secretary, allowing us to pass through peacefully.
Thus, by protecting Maia, I’m sure we owe Hermes a debt of gratitude.
Above all,
our cute goddess has made a decision to become a true goddess herself.
Through the fourth labor, there could be no greater gain than this.
It was a day where something good seemed about to happen.
*
On a cool night where the wind blew gently.
Wild animals in the mountains freely scampered about in celebration of freedom, and in tune with their movements, the sound of grasshoppers sang harmoniously, repeating a beautiful melody.
But as a large eagle began circling the mountain,
all disappeared as if nothing happened, leaving a deathly silence.
The crimson-eyed eagle discovered a cunningly hidden limestone cave between the ridges and swiftly descended.
Upon gently landing on a rock, it emitted a white light from its body, transforming instantly into the figure of a woman.
When the light dissipated and dispersed, a proud woman in a fiery red dress stood there.
That woman’s name was Hera.
“Is it here? Still making a nest in mysterious places.”
Even deep into the night, where shadows of darkness had swallowed everything, the luminous cave entrance radiated like the streets of a pleasure quarter.
Hera wrinkled her forehead at the foul smell of alcohol wafting out from the cave.
“Damn brat.”
Directing a sincere oath of insult towards someone inside the cave, Hera strode forcefully inside.
She tensed her nerves and cautiously advanced, her gaze scanning the surroundings.
Stalactites resembling icicles irregularly grew from the cave’s ceiling,
and the floor was filled with sharp stalagmites laid out like traps; if someone tripped over them, it would surely lead to severe injury.
Hera continued smashing the stalagmites with her foot as she walked deeper into the cave.
“Urgh!”
At the nauseating stench of rotting food scraps, Hera winced and covered her nose.
With her other hand, she picked up a half-empty wine bottle lying around, approached a disheveled man slumped on the floor with his shirt undone exposing his belly, and threw it at him with great force.
“Get up, Dionysus!”
Clang!
The wine bottle hit his forehead and shattered.
Yet Dionysus, as if the pain didn’t exist at all, slowly sat up while still half asleep.
Then he rubbed his eyes, flicked off the eye booger, and started licking the alcohol off his finger.
“Dionysus! Stop that disgusting behavior and wake up!”
“Hmm… hic! If a human had awakened me, I would have driven them half insane… Unfortunately, it’s Lady Hera.”
Awake but still drunk, Dionysus struggled to rise but leaned against the cave wall for support.
By the light of the nearby oil lamp, his eyes and nose were not just red but had turned pitch-black.
“Drunkard! How dare you talk back!”
“Hic!… Ugh… Since you don’t appreciate jokes… Hic! It’s definitely you, my mother, isn’t it? Hehehehe~!”
“Madman!”
Smack!
Unable to endure Dionysus’ nonsense any longer, Hera slapped his cheek hard.
He turned his head and, losing balance, fell backward, hitting his forehead on the wall.
But Hera didn’t care, instead pointing at him and berating him.
“I didn’t come here to listen to your drunk ramblings.”
“Ugh, hic… Then why did you come to this humble place?”
“Tsk. Didn’t you boast at Mount Kallikê about having a plan to obstruct Metis’ rehabilitation and make Artemis and Ark submit?”
“Ahhh! Indeed, I did say exactly that!”
“So you did. Stupid brat.”
As if she no longer wanted to deal with his drunken mumbling, Hera began to turn away.
The gesture was close to a threat—she’d leave if he uttered one more nonsensical word.
“Aaa~ Don’t go, mother~”
“Madman! It was my mistake to trust you. I’ll leave.”
“Hic! But… Shouldn’t we verify the promise first?”
“My word as Hera is sacred. If your scheme succeeds, I will certainly keep my promise to give you one of the Twelve Olympian seats.”
“So it’s the vacant seat of the kicked-out Artemis, right?”
“Of course. Olympus has no need for such an errand-boy with questionable parentage, isn’t that correct?”
“Hahaha!”
“Hohohohoh!”
The swaying oil lamp illuminated two shadows on the cave wall, laughing wickedly and transforming into demons.
