Chapter 655: 224: What Belongs to the Mortal Realm Returns to the Mortal Realm_2

Chapter 655: Chapter 224: What Belongs to the Mortal Realm Returns to the Mortal Realm_2

“You seem to have misunderstood, Princess Artemis, I’ve not concealed my whereabouts. In fact, regarding your bringing my daughter back to me, I can only offer heartfelt gratitude and respect.”

Girded with a long sword, not wearing a crown, clad in plain grey attire—the familiar middle-aged man emerged from the uninhabited gates of the Royal Palace.

Glancing at his daughter whom he hadn’t seen for half a year, Theseus gave a wry smile and then gestured to his chest in respect to the Goddess.

“Welcome to my palace, Your Highness. Your presence makes it shine all the more.”

“Hmm, I know, heartfelt gratitude and respect, I believe in your words. But I also believe that deep down, you think humanity doesn’t really need deities,” said Artemis with a twist of her mouth, without a hint of courtesy.

As one of the official True Gods of the Athenian church, her words could cause a great tumult within the Kingdom.

This was virtually an outright accusation that the King was The Faithless, thereby inciting the anger of All Gods and the Mortal Realm.

Yet at this moment, even Andrea knew that the Goddess wasn’t there to blame anything because she herself was of the kind who didn’t really need humans and didn’t care for such things.

Had it not been for her quarrel with Zeus in Silver Moon City, Artemis could have happily lived by the lakeside with the Deliades (Forest Nymphs) and the Oreiades (Mountain Nymphs).

The wilderness and woodlands were her favorite places, not the cities. She drew inspiration from witchcraft and Divine Arts, teaching those animals to follow the path of nature; even without humans, she still had her own faithful followers.

So, when Artemis spoke thus, it was merely a straightforward mockery of Theseus’s insincerity, although she also knew that, in this world, mortals who dared to speak such truths were either condemned to endlessly push boulders or suffer eternal punishment in the Underworld.

“You flatter me too much, Your Highness. In truth, I’ve never shunned deities. Towards Goddesses and deities like yourself, I’ve always been welcoming.”

Approaching a few steps forward, the King gently touched his daughter’s hair.

Since realizing her identity had been uncovered by the Goddess, Andrea had voluntarily abandoned her disguise, so at this moment, she reverted to her original appearance.

She seemed to have not suffered much and was even more spirited compared to half a year ago… however, Theseus noticed that his daughter, now at the age where her body was developing rapidly, had seemingly grown quite a bit taller.

By those standards, she was almost of age… Seeing the joy and slight nervousness in his daughter’s eyes, the middle-aged man warmly smiled.

“Andrea, I’m glad to see you safe and sound, and… it appears you’ve had a little adventure of your own, much like I did when I was young,” he said.

“This is your affair, your own decision. Just as I’ve always taken pride in my past, this too will become a cherished memory for you in the future. However, Andrea, I still wish to know, on this journey of yours, was it the guidance of a deity that led you?”

“…No, it wasn’t. A friend of mine saved me, and I am very grateful to him,” she said in a voice not loud but very serious. Even though a slight estrangement had just occurred, the Little Princess didn’t hesitate in her response.

She expected her father to inquire about Aiven’s origins, but before her, Theseus just laughed heartily.

“Hahaha… Excellent. It’s fine, Andrea, I don’t mind you making friends. But since it wasn’t the guidance of a deity, and you both extricated yourselves from danger, that truly is a cause for joy,” he said.

Turning around, Theseus gave a slight bow to Artemis. In the eyes of the King of Athens, there indeed was genuine gratitude and respect.

“Princess Artemis, I thank you once more for everything, and I hope you understand that I am not rejecting Deity,” he said.

“Gods have brought many good things to this world. The church’s teachings urge people towards kindness, the Divine Arts of Priests can heal sickness and console wraiths… All these are reasons why I respect Deity,” he explained.

“But what I want to say is, although Gods created Humans, just like children must learn to live independently in this world, I simply hope to let divine matters remain with Deity, and human affairs with the Mortal Realm without too much interference and commands. If every God could let go, just like the Goddess and yourself, then perhaps Humans, on their own, could come up with a good enough answer,” he stated.

“Well, we understand, but that is impossible, isn’t it? Unless the current All Gods suffer massive casualties, such a reality is destined not to happen,” he concluded.

Dismissing the conversation with a wave of her hand, Artemis had long been aware of his stance. Although it sounded passionate, she also knew that half of Athens’s opponents were provoked by this very attitude.

Humans really are strange creatures. The most capable among them are either The Faithless or devout followers. But from another angle, perhaps The Faithless harbor other beliefs within their hearts.

“Let’s get back to the matter at hand, Theseus. I came to remind you,” she said.

Changing topics, since the man had been delivered, it was time to discuss serious matters.

“Unless something unexpected happens, in a few years or a decade, the Mortal Realm may erupt into a war, a war unprecedented in history, one that will envelope the world,” she revealed.

“Athena has hesitated over this for a long time. I don’t know what she’s thinking, but she ultimately made a decision—before that, however, she asked me to tell you that divine matters are for them to concern themselves with, but you must be mindful of your own safety,” she cautioned.

Gazing directly at Theseus, Artemis spoke solemnly, “If war breaks out in the Mortal Realm, you will be a thorn in the sides of certain Gods, the first they’d seek to remove. But as long as you remain in Athens, you will be under her protection.”

“No one can harm you in Athens, that is Athena’s promise to you,” she assured.

“…I understand. I thank the Goddess for her kindness, and I thank you for bringing me this news. But in today’s Mortal Realm, there may be enemies I cannot fight, yet there might still be no dangers I cannot escape,” he acknowledged.

Polite in his refusal, Theseus smiled and said:

“If possible, I would still like to test my sword, should the danger arise,” he insisted.

“As long as you understand, that’s fine. I came to remind you, not to force you—hmm, it seems I couldn’t force you even if I wanted to,” she remarked.

With a light hum, Artemis turned around, but from the corner of her eye, she noticed the hesitation on Andrea’s face.

“What’s the matter, do you wish to say something as well?” she inquired.

“Your Highness, the war you just mentioned, could it be because of…” he began.

“Perhaps it’s related to the Golden Apple, but little one, I’m sure that if Zeus wanted to prevent it, he actually could. As for whether he will choose to intervene…” she pondered.

“Who knows?” she mused.

With a flash of Light, Artemis vanished from in front of the Royal Palace. Having completed this matter, she was eager to return to her own place to further harness the wild Strength she had obtained from Keto.

Such a harmonious power was not easily obtained.