NOVPUBChapter 776 -280: Prisoner_2
鈥渀
You should know that the moment the incense was lit, the moment the fog, heavy with grief and resentment, reached their vicinity, the twins had already gleaned some understanding of Demeter鈥檚 recent situation.
The resentment, the frustration, it was normal; the weakness desiring strength, it was also normal.
Therefore, they had many ideas before they even arrived, and had even made bets on how she planned to recover it all.
Make Aphrodite fall in love with a Hekatonkheires? Turn the desirable Apollo, whom even the Goddess of Beauty couldn鈥檛 obtain, into a subject under Demeter鈥檚 skirt?
These were all possibilities, and indeed they were clever strategies.
...
But they could never have imagined that they would hear the name of a goddess, and that goddess would be Athena.
鈥淗ow so, is there a problem with what I said?鈥
鈥淚 remember Athena doesn鈥檛 possess great divine power, and there was no mention that your arrows can鈥檛 be used by goddesses.鈥
Smiling, Demeter felt immensely satisfied.
Goddess Athena, symbol of wisdom, when her name was spoken, Demeter couldn鈥檛 help but acknowledge the surpassing intelligence that is indeed the most precious treasure of life, a treasure not exclusive to the Goddess of Wisdom.
Yes, that鈥檚 right, just as the twins guessed, she was planning to find a pillar of support for herself.
Someone strong, capable, willing to work for her, and who didn鈥檛 understand love as possession, like Poseidon.
潣梆潣佛潡答潣?co
In fact, Apollo was a very good choice, Demeter still acknowledged the character of this nephew of hers.
However, thinking of Apollo, considering this deity whose appearance was acknowledged by both men and women, the Goddess of Agriculture suddenly had a brilliant idea.
Indeed, who dictated that love must be between a male god and a goddess, or a goddess and a male god?
Not to mention anyone else, her brother Zeus was an example. Recently, his affair with a certain mortal lad had been widely discussed in the divine court, and even rumors said that the Divine King planned to grant the youth immortality, to replace Hebe as the cupbearer for all gods.
Although so far it was merely gossip, Demeter couldn鈥檛 help but consider other possibilities given these precedents.
Furthermore, on Olympus, the amount of morally bound male deities was limited; goddesses were far more abundant.
Under such circumstances, once a change of heart occurred, the world seemed broader. It was not that Apollo was lacking in any way; choosing Athena simply appeared as a boundless horizon for Demeter.
鈥淪o, this is my request.鈥
Smiling in response, Demeter even analyzed, 鈥淭he troubles I face now are related to both Athens and Olympus.鈥
鈥淚n the past, I was partly to blame for Theseus鈥檚 death. Under these circumstances, even if I鈥檓 willing to lean towards Athens, the outcome might not be favorable.鈥
鈥淚 am not certain if she will settle scores after fall, nor if Athena will trust me, but now, a single arrow could resolve all these problems.鈥
鈥淭herefore, that is my request. I hope you can fulfill it for me.鈥
鈥淓h鈥︹€
Feeling a bit awkward, Volos had already brought out a golden arrow, but under the gaze of the Goddess of Agriculture, he retracted his hand a little.
Shooting Athena鈥 Isn鈥檛 that a bit too fierce?
It wasn鈥檛 impossible, but Athena was a bit special. Therefore, even they were unclear what the outcome might be once the arrow was shot.
鈥淐ough, Demeter, on this matter鈥 we hope that you will give it careful consideration.鈥
After a moment鈥檚 hesitation, Volos explained, 鈥淚t鈥檚 not that we can鈥檛 fulfill your request, but wisdom indeed has the upper hand in repressing such emotions.鈥
鈥淔urthermore, although I have no idea what the goddess has been doing lately, the impression she left on me during a chance encounter over a hundred years ago was even more formidable than the Lord of Ocean.鈥
鈥淪o what you are saying is, you can鈥檛 fulfill your promise?鈥
Taken aback, Demeter didn鈥檛 expect her flawless plan to face an obstacle before it even began.
Faced with her inquiry, Volos had no choice but to explain, 鈥淚t鈥檚 not impossible, but the result is rather unpredictable.鈥
鈥淲e agreed to shoot an arrow for you, but the consequences should always be clearly stated beforehand.鈥
鈥淎thena鈥 is indeed not a good choice.鈥
鈥溾€︹€
Feeling somewhat unwilling, but Demeter had no alternative. After all, as they said, they promised an arrow but did not promise the outcome.
If something really went wrong, she doubted that the twins would offer after-sales service.
With no other choice, given the best option was gone, Demeter fell into thought for a moment.
Should she choose Apollo instead? She鈥檇 rather not.
Besides Athena, she wished to avoid choosing any gods likely to be involved in the Battle of Athens.
Moreover, the most important point was that although Apollo was powerful, on one hand he had no factions of his own, and on the other hand, he had his duties with the Sun Chariot.
鈥渀
So this really wasn鈥檛 a good choice鈥 Demeter just wanted to retaliate against Aphrodite and then slip away.
鈥淭he starry sky, the Underworld, choose one, these are the only two safest places.鈥
鈥淏ut the Underworld belongs to Pearl, and ever since marrying Hades last time, it seems she has become quite estranged from me鈥︹€
Shaking her head, thinking this, Demeter looked up at Volos.
鈥淲ell then, as you said, in that case, I will make another choice. This time, I hope there will be no more problems.鈥
鈥淭here won鈥檛 be, among all the gods there aren鈥檛 so many exceptions.鈥
Breathing a sigh of relief, she recalled the gods she knew within the scope of her knowledge.
Volos was sure, there were no more exceptions, even if this time she chose Hera, it wouldn鈥檛 be a problem.
鈥淏ut to get back to the point, I should warn you in advance. Arrows that involve Desire must be forged with your heart鈥檚 blood, filled with hatred.鈥
鈥淒emeter, are you ready?鈥
鈥淥f course.鈥
If for others, their hatred was toward a particular person, and thus their blood-drenched arrows could only affect their enemies,
for Demeter, her hatred was less about Aphrodite and more about her own situation, her thirst for power and status.
So without hesitation, she took the Golden Arrow from Volos鈥檚 hand and plunged it into her chest.
And when a deity with great divine power sacrifices her blood for an arrow, this originally brilliant Divine Artifact inevitably lost its luster.
Red patterns spread upon it, some lost power from the world stirred and began to slowly converge.
鈥淭sk, decisive now, aren鈥檛 we?鈥
With a sneer, Eros brushed a strand of hair behind her ear.
鈥淲ill she get what she desires?鈥
鈥淧erhaps鈥 she might.鈥
鈥溾€︹€
As voices faded into nothing, in this profound night, the Golden Arrow symbolizing Desire was forged once again.
路路路路路路
The next day.
In the City of Eryxis, Laine surveyed the ruined Temple.
The power of the Abyss still lingered above, and Laine was somewhat surprised by Aphrodite鈥檚 quiet association with the Abyss.
Of course, his reason for visiting the place today had nothing to do with the Abyss.
That was a matter for the Serpent of the Central Court, not his.
The reason Laine came was actually because of a person who had just been arrested here.
鈥淎ccording to your investigation, he鈥檚 not a guard of Eryxis, but he was skulking near the Temple of Agriculture,鈥 Laine asked as he browsed through the data obtained after a short interrogation.
鈥淥n a power level鈥 suspected to be a high-ranking professional, but did not resist arrest, is that correct?鈥
鈥淵es.鈥
Solomon nodded slightly.
鈥淭hen his name, and why did he come here?鈥
With a strange expression, Laine asked again.
鈥淗mm鈥︹€
Even though he had been informed by the messenger earlier, Solomon found it odd that he was being asked again, yet he replied, 鈥淪upposedly, he came to rescue a trapped goddess.鈥
鈥淭hat鈥檚 his mission, and the mission鈥檚 objective is to save the Goddess of Agriculture from the clutches of the evil Athenians.鈥
鈥淏ut as you know, we haven鈥檛 captured the Goddess of Agriculture at all. As for his name鈥︹€
After a moment of thought, Solomon affirmed:
鈥淭hough it is a bit strange and does not conform to the usual naming conventions. But according to his own account, he indeed calls himself 鈥楬eracles鈥 without a doubt.鈥
